When you start babysitting you might not think it’s a big deal. You think all that is required is sitting with them until you put them to bed then it’s a case of waiting about until the parents come home. If you’re lucky you might even get a ride back home so you don’t have to stress yourself about anything. If you look at babysitting through rose-tinted glasses it almost seems like the easiest job in the world. You don’t have to do anything for the money.
After a while you realize this isn’t the case. You’re dealing with a real human being even if they are small. It’s not like looking after someone’s plants when they go on holiday. You will have to deal with all sorts of problems and some might scare you. Others will annoy you and a few might shock you. If you plan on babysitting a lot you will come up against all sorts of problems, so we’re going to look at some big ones now and you can find out how to deal with them.
Dealing with bullying
The child you are babysitting might be getting bullied at school. Do you have any experience with bullies, because even if you don’t you will need to say something. You can’t just ignore a child when they are feeling hurt. Maybe they thought they could open up to you so you can pass the message on to their parents, but you still have to make them feel better at that moment. Try and reassure them everything will be OK and try to stop them feeling anxious about going to school.
Feeling sick
Children get sick and they will be in pain. Even if you called their parents to come home straight away you still need to help them out while you’re waiting around. You will need to hold them and possibly run with them to the toilet if they’re going to be sick. Because you’ve already felt like crap hundreds of times you will know how bad they are feeling. If something doesn’t seem right you might even have to call an ambulance.
Getting ignored
How many times have you completely ignored your mom when she has told you to do something? If you can act that way in front of your mom I wonder how you would act in front of someone you don’t really know. Would you just keep running around doing your own thing until your parents got home? If the child you’re babysitting won’t listen to you it’s important you find a way to calm them down without going crazy at them since it’s not your job.
Homework problems
They will have to do their homework and if it needs to be completed soon you might be sitting with them trying to help out. Do you know how to teach someone math? You might be able to do it yourself, but it’s completely different trying to make them see how to understand it in the easiest way possible. You will have to try your best to learn how to explain things in a simple way, which takes a little bit of practice.
Missing their parents
If the child is young they might be very upset when they don’t have their mom or dad to cuddle. Their little heart will be breaking and you’re the only person there who can deal with the problem. What will you do to make them feel better? How can you make them feel better if there is no ice cream in the fridge? They will have to accept their parents aren’t there but will be back soon and it’s up to you to make them see that.
Rita D’mello runs a nanny agency in Melbourne. She loves baby-sitting and stresses on the fact that children need to be given their own space for them to get accustomed and cause less trouble. When she isn’t baby-sitting she usually blogs about her experiences.
Filed under: Guest Blog Tagged: Babysitting, Bullying, Child, Family, Home, Melbourne, Parent, Youth
