Who's actually babysitting your children?

Reading this reminds me of when I first started babysitting! I must have been 12 or 13, and I was changing my neighbors diaper. Which would have been fine, if I had known how to change a diaper. I do think people definitely overlook characteristics for babysitters. Its important to make sure you know who is watching your kid. It seems like family members are easier to trust, but I think the parent should probably make sure the kid watching there kid will be okay. It is super interesting comparing the developmental stages to actual people though. I know I still occasionally babysit and its interesting to try and categorize where the children might be in the stages.

I love this post. Now that I think about, this would stick with my also in the next 5 years because I love working with kids and babysitting. I want to be a nurse in a children's hospital and I feel that knowing the development of children would most definitely help me out in my job. Yet again, I come from a large family also and have been caring for my cousins. It is so true that if you don't know how to react to a child's every move, you will not be successful in babysitting or raising your own children.

I agree completely that most people don't know major milestones in a baby's life. I never thought about how it affects babysitting and people who aren't parents. I personally never knew when kids started walking and concepts like that before this psychology class so I also thought that was a memorable piece of information. I think because people develop at different ages, it isn't crucial that babysitters know when they are supposed to achieve the milestones; I think it is more important that babysitters know if the kids have achieved the milestones yet.

I don't think that babysitters would have such popularity if they didnt do SOMETHING right. The general knowledge needed to take care of a child is instilled in women beacuse we are maternal creatures. That is why we don't see many male babysitters. Through thorough interviewing with my hubby, I would definitely worry but feel safe as well when we hire a babysitter. This is all hypothetical of course, because who knows, the birth of a child and marriage may change my outlook on life.

I think that oftentimes the people picked to babysit are ones who are the oldest in the neighborhood that seem trustworthy or the ones that have been talked about by other parents. I know that I started just watching the kids across the street at about 10 or 11 years old. This was okay because I only ever babysat when my parent's were home so I could call if I ever needed help. I continued babysitting until I was in 8th grade, my popularity growing in the neighborhood for all kids that were younger. This opportunity gave me a chance to learn how to take care of children at a very young age and even kids who were 3 or 4 years younger than I was. Along with that, I coached so parents saw how I interacted with their children and I got offers there as well. From the coaching experience, I feel parents may overlook facts that a babysitter prospect may not know how to change a diaper for the mere fact their children interact well with the person they are looking to hire. But I also think that parents overlook this fact because you can learn how to take care of a child pretty simple and they usually are going to give instructions on what the child can or cannot eat. If you know to keep your eyes on the children at all times you are generally pretty solid in taking care of a child. If you interact with all children in a fair way you're an awesome babysitter and if you happen to put a diaper on wrong, you'll just be stuck cleaning up a mess. The only time I don't think things are overlooked are if the child has a condition that needs training to take care of, like seizures or a heart condition.