Unit 1 You and Others 48
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Caring for children when their parents are absent for a brief time is
called babysitting. When you babysit, you may care for younger brothers
and sisters, cousins, or neighborhood children. Babysitting gives you a
chance to learn about children. Sometimes, you may assist a parent or
caregiver who is at home to care for a child. To be a responsible babysitter,
you need to know how children grow and develop.
Responsibilities of Babysitting
The most important people in a child’s life are the caregivers. A
caregiver
is a person who cares for children. See 2-1. When you babysit,
you are responsible for the children. You are a substitute for the parents.
You are expected to treat children as their parents treat them.
Provide Guidance
Parents show their love by setting limits, which are boundaries or
restrictions. Parents set limits to help children learn acceptable behavior
and to keep them safe. For instance, parents may tell children they must
complete their homework before going outside to play. This helps children
learn to be responsible.
Limits are more effective when stated in positive ways. For instance,
parents may say “Put your toys away” rather than “Don’t leave your toys
on the fl oor.” By setting guidelines, parents can teach children to control
their behavior.
Guidance and discipline may be
needed to enforce some limits.
Guidance
includes everything parents do and
say to affect their children’s behavior.
For instance, parents might model
positive behavior by not becoming upset
when they are frustrated. By modeling
acceptable behavior, parents can help their
children learn to control their own anger.
Discipline
is the use of various
methods to help children learn to behave
in acceptable ways. Parents may use
various styles of discipline to enforce
limits. For instance, parents may teach
their children to follow limits by setting
a positive example. They may discuss
reasons for limits. Parents may also praise
their children when they follow the limits.
At times, children will ignore the limits
parents set for them. When this occurs,
parents must always be consistent when
responding to the behavior. Parents are
more likely to confuse children if they
Caregivers can be parents, siblings,
relatives, or babysitters.
2-1