Unit 1 You and Others 50
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Reading
Review
1. How can parents help their children learn acceptable behaviors?
2. What are two responsibilities you may have as a babysitter?
3. What can babysitters do to keep babies and young children from
hurting themselves?
Preparing to Babysit
To be a reliable babysitter, you need to be prepared. Knowledge of how
children grow and develop is important. You need to be patient and confi dent.
You also need to be able to handle emergencies and act responsibly. A successful
babysitter is caring and fond of children. A sense of humor helps, too.
Learn how children behave at each age. Read books about children.
Observe children around you. Think about what you read and how it
relates to what you observe. Remember this when babysitting.
Research community resources that are age appropriate for the child or
children who will be in your care. Discuss these with a parent or caregiver.
Suggest how you and the parent or caregiver could use such resources for
learning experiences. You must have permission from the parent or caregiver
to take a child away from home at any time, such as on a walk or to the park.
Before babysitting children for the fi rst
time, visit their homes to meet them and
their parents. Tell the parents about your
babysitting skills. Find out what duties
they expect you to perform. Decide how
much you will charge to babysit. Be sure
the parents agree this is a fair amount.
Ask for any special instructions about
caring for the children. What are their
eating and sleeping habits? Do you need
to feed them? If so, what foods should
they eat? What time should they go to
bed? What are their favorite toys? When
you know and respect the rules, children
cannot talk you into breaking them. Talk
with the parents about the ways you try to
guide children’s behavior. See 2-2.
Before the parents leave, ask for a phone
number where you can reach them. Also,
ask for phone numbers for the doctor, police,
fi re department, and local poison control
center. Find out when you should call the
doctor before calling the parents. Certain
emergencies must be taken care of quickly.
Babysitting Rates
Before you decide how much to
charge for babysitting services, you
will want to consider several factors.
Experience is one of the most important
factors. For instance, a person with
no babysitting experience may often
receive several dollars less than a
person who has years of experience.
The number and age of children may
also impact babysitting rates. For
instance, caring for a baby or several
children at one time often increases the
hourly wage. Another factor to consider
is the amount of additional work. When
the job includes housework, cooking,
or running errands, you may want to
consider asking for more money.
Financial Financial
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