Babysitting jobs are quite popular and everyone gets the gist of what it is and what your kid is required to do. However, it is tricky when your kid comes to you and tells you that he or she wants to start a babysitting business and you just realize that you do not know how to go about it. It is quite normal to feel overwhelmed but if your kid loves playing with children and is responsible, then babysitting is an ideal way to make money. Babysitting will expose your kid to many life lessons and practical experiences which she will carry with her for life.
Here are some reasons why you should let your kids babysit:
1. Life-Skills
Apart from the cash, babysitting offers your kids plenty of life skills which they can take for life. They can learn how to change diapers, how to burp a baby etc. You learn a lot about responsibility especially if you are responsible for toddlers, babies, you quickly or automatically learn how to take care of others and that is something you can’t just easily learn on your own or in a classroom. It is because babysitting is a practical activity where you practice acts of care so you quickly begin to learn.
2. Responsibility
By babysitting, you learn to set limits and boundaries for the kids that you are looking after. And you also are capable of making decisions on the spot when the kids don’t follow the rules. This means you are getting matured and being more accountable.
3. Independence
Babysitting brings about a sense of independence at a time when they may feel like they have little control at home. So, if your kid is babysitting, you are letting him or her have a little independence and freedom.
4. Empathy
It gives them an increased sense of empathy towards others and the ability to see things from a different perspective. By caring for kids that cannot help themselves and depend on older people, it helps your kid to feel empathy when needed and this will help them to render help in situations that demand it. Depending on the age your kid is babysitting, they may form a bond with the kid and this will help them have a smooth relationship.
5. Career skills
By getting into the business, you kid gets to learn career skills. These include the ability to negotiate salary, hours etc. Probably if he or she were shy, they will be able to open up as they interact with clients.
6. No running out of business
Babysitting is a common job taken among teens and brings enough money and will always exist because kids will always be around and would need to be taken care of. Their parents will go on dates, or out for an event or another and even travel. So, there is no running out of business in this business.
7. Patience
By babysitting your kid will to be patient and to exercising it appropriately. Being in charge of kids can be stressful at times if they don’t follow the rules. The only way is to be patient with the kids and bring them to an understanding.
Now that you know how beneficial babysitting can be to your kid just follow the steps below and help your kid start that business that they love to do.
1. Consider the age
You might question yourself as to what age is best suited for your kid to start looking after other peoples babies? The answer is that it is very much attached to their level of maturity but basically the appropriate age would be 12 and above. So, if your kid is 12, then congrats, he or she is capable. If he or she is not then you may take on some baby-sitting jobs a few times and take them along so that they can learn a little along the way.
2. Passion
There must be passion for the job and love for kids. Kids can be very annoying and at times it can get frustrating. So, you need to identify if your kid truly loves to do the job or is just looking for a business venture. To do this, ask him or her to write out why they want to do it, their long term goals for the business etc. Are they ready to put in that selflessness, to show love and commitment? These are questions that you need to ask to bring them to the reality of what the job demands.
3. Safety course
Your kid needs to take a safety course because there are a lot of things that can go wrong especially with toddlers. The Red Cross baby-sitting course is ideal for 11 to 15 year olds but you could take courses from other sources as well. The course is meant to equip you with basic child care, safety issues and also advertising tips. The taking of this course will ensure that your kid is capable of taking responsible care of the children placed under his or her care. And the lessons he or she learns will be with them for life and they can use in the future whenever the occasion arises.
4. Competitions
Check out competitors within your local. It would be reasonable to check out other competitors that have been in the business for a while so that your kids can get some tips on how they can run their program. This will help you to know what customers want and appeal to their needs.
5. Publicity
After the training, your kid is now equipped to take on jobs. It is now time to advertise him or her, and the following means can be implemented:
- Word of mouth referral, by letting friends and family help spread the news about your babysitting services
- Distributing flyers and posters in areas where your target market is located
- Buying a classified ad in babysitting or services section of your local newspaper
- Ask those whom you have babysat for to recommend you to other families, or people who might be in need of your services
- Start a blog or website that is centered on baby care, using it as a medium to enlighten parents, which in the long run is likely to bring you more clients because people would trust you
- Use social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your babysitting business, and also connect with clients
- Advertise on the mass media, like the radio, television, relevant magazines, and/or newspaper. Attend children events and shows, and try to connect with parents there.
6. Flexibility
Babysitting businesses are not constrained to seasons or even the economy; this means that you can make money whenever you want without being worried about a recession. Setting the price for your babysitting business that your customers find reasonable and isn’t detrimental to your financial need is very important. Your kids experience, level of service she intends to offer, and the ages and the number of kids she is babysitting should act as a justification for whatever amount she choose to charge.
7. Additional services
Asides just babysitting as the others into the business do, you could also add additional services that will keep your clients coming back to you or you can choose the specific ages of the bay, or children you want to babysit. You should totally pick what works for you, and what age range is easier for you to handle as compared to others.
8. Bank account
Set up a custodial bank account for your kid, one that will help him or her to save money so that he can be more responsible with it. This will be give them the ability to save and keep records of profits as their business grows.
9. Invest
Finally, once your kid starts baby-sitting, invest in the business by having your child create a babysitting game toolkit made up of cards, cardboard paper, crayons, glue etc. Your kid may also take along some of their left over toys from when they were younger so that they will not only occupy the child but the parents would be impressed with you kids baby-sitting skills.
In conclusion, people do not really know the benefits of a babysitting but it benefits a lot. Watching kids is just one part of running a babysitting business. You will also need to spend time and energy marketing your services to parents, determining a fair price for your services and doing many other tasks that full-time entrepreneurs do every day. So, help your kid start up a business and give him or her the opportunity of learning life lessons and making money at the same. Do not underestimate the ability of your kids, they are more educative, enlightened and tech savvy than you were at their age. An opportunity to get your kid into business is great because it teaches them a lot about responsibility, confidence, perseverance and independence. These lessons are not taught in schools and that is why entrepreneurship is a great way of bringing out the best in them.
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