Almost every teen that has a part-time job is benefitted from the process. It teaches teens responsibility, how to budget and gives them a bit more freedom. With the new school year just getting underway, many teens are searching for extra ways to make money. A part-time job can help with that. If you know one looking to make a little money you may want to suggest them to try their hand at babysitting. Babysitting is a great business and very rewarding when one sees the joy on the children’s faces that see them as they walk in. Find out how to get started below.
Take a CPR Course- The first step should be to take a course in Red Cross CPR to get licensed, or a course on babysitting. This way if anything ever happens while the teen is babysitting a child they know CPR. Teens can find courses through their local library, fire station, or police stations in the area.
Pick an Age Group- If teens were trained in infant CPR this would be a great way to get started, especially if they love babies. Some teens are more comfortable babysitting older children as they don’t have to change diapers or give them bottles.
References- Once a teen has taken the course, they need to start gathering up those references. Ask family and friends if they can babysit their kids for free or at a lower price than most do just to get those first 3 references. At the end of each visit, ask them what they think went well and what can be done better. This will help them improve and be great information for future families.
Pricing- Find out what other local babysitters are charging per hour or per child and price around that. You don’t want to charge too high or low. Always think about how far you are willing to travel when deciding on a price. Due to taking a course, they can always charge more because of your qualifications. Pricing can go anywhere from $5 an hour to $20 depending on your location, qualifications, children’s age, and activities.
Advertising- When it comes to advertising teens will want to make flyers and business cards. They will want to leave their cards with their current customers to pass out to their friends/family. For every referral, they get 10% off the next babysitting gig.
Get important information- It is highly important to get all the important information written down before the parent drops off the child, or before they leave. There are a few worksheets to help you out below. Make sure to list any allergies, where emergency supplies are located, phone numbers in case of an emergency, etc. Knowing the age of the child will also help in deciding what type of fun games you can do with them.
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