11 replies to this topic

[berryy]

(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum- I'm not really upset.. just kinda stressed out ;-;)

 

Okay so my mom just texted me about a babysitting job for me, which is great and all (and I do want to do it), but its also going to be my first job, and I don't really have much time in advance.

 

Ideally I would like to have all of the necessary info on the child prior to the day of- but since thats tomorrow I can't really do thaaaat- which is kinda stressing me out. 0.0

 

The girl is also already 9, which may make the job easier, but also possibly harder since older kids are less easily entertained imo.

 

So uh- here's what I'm wondering from anyone who has experience with this:

 

-What kind of activities do kids her age typically enjoy? (even though it wasn't too long ago I have no clue what I liked at 9 lol)

-What all should I bring? 

-What should I ask her parent(s) before they leave (or before tomorrow if I can get a phone number). 

 

(I also have done a babysitting coarse for anyone who was wondering, I'm just slightly unsure on what to do with this particular age range. :'))

 

Thanks

Edited by berry~, 24 June 2021 - 05:27 AM.

[Tater]

Some questions to think about asking her parents are:
Any known allergies
Medical conditions
Typical behavior to look out for
What snacks they may or may not be allowed to have while you're there
If there's an emergency contact list
If the girl has ever been babysat before and how she feels about it
Rules about screen time
If there's any religious or cultural stuff you need to be aware of
How to discipline
And there's more you can look up online if you need

If you're able to, I would try to ask her parents what she likes to do before you get there so you can see if you can bring anything specific to her likes. For example if she likes coloring maybe bring some cool markers and coloring pages or just blank sheet of papers to draw what you want.

I haven't babysat older kids in a bit, usually I do younger kids (most recent oldest being 6) but I'll try my best to answer some of the questions

Since she is nine I know that kids are that age like to feel like they are an older kid so just make sure to treat her not as a baby lol. ​

I would try to maybe bring something that she doesn't do often, like teach her a new skill. maybe something like bead bracelets, or some origami would be fun. I know in the past older kids I've babysat have enjoyed board games.

Honestly I'm not really sure beyond that 😅 I'm not sure I helped much but good luck!

Edit: one more thing I like to add - I usually just take jobs with older kids and gear it more towards the perspective of 'hanging out' for example if I was hanging out with my friends I would totally bake some cookies or watch a movie just the same as I would do with an older kid I was babysitting.

Edit 2: reading the new responses, I like what IAT said about viewing it as being their legal guardian. It kind of goes along with what I said above about viewing it as hanging out versus babysitting just in a slightly different way. And remember every 9-year-old is different and some will be a bit more mature than others and others less mature. I mean really don't just take one person's advice (which includes mine yes) because every kid is going to like something different. I know my 12-year-old sister was being 'babysat' not too long ago and she did like when there was organized fun, she enjoyed doing activities with whoever she was with, it really just depends.

Edited by Tater, 24 June 2021 - 07:35 AM.

[lollyshamsters]

(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum- I'm not really upset.. just kinda stressed out ;-;)

 

Okay so my mom just texted me about a babysitting job for me, which is great and all (and I do want to do it), but its also going to be my first job, and I don't really have much time in advance.

 

Ideally I would like to have all of the necessary info on the child prior to the day of- but since thats tomorrow I can't really do thaaaat- which is kinda stressing me out. 0.0

 

The girl is also already 9, which may make the job easier, but also possibly harder since older kids are less easily entertained imo.

 

So uh- here's what I'm wondering from anyone who has experience with this:

 

-What kind of activities do kids her age typically enjoy? (even though it wasn't too long ago I have no clue what I liked at 9 lol)

-What all should I bring? 

-What should I ask her parent(s) before they leave (or before tomorrow if I can get a phone number). 

 

(I also have done a babysitting coarse for anyone who was wondering, I'm just slightly unsure on what to do with this particular age range. :'))

 

Thanks

I'm sure kids her age would use their devices and go online all the time lol. I mean it's 2021, what do you expect? You probably won't need to "play" with if you know what I mean. I bet you would be able to leave her alone to do her own things but just watch from far away.

[Tater]

I'm sure kids her age would use their devices and go online all the time lol. I mean it's 2021, what do you expect? You probably won't need to "play" with if you know what I mean. I bet you would be able to leave her alone to do her own things but just watch from far away.

Honestly I highly disagree with this. I doubt the parents want their kid on their phone or tablet or computer the whole time. Babysitting is supposed to be fun for the child where they get a experience a little time away from their parents and have a good feeling about it and I just don't think being on devices the whole time is a good thing for babysitting. Sure it can't hurt to sit down with the kid and watch a movie but I am a firm believer in trying to have a bond with the kids your babysitting and have fun with them. And the parents might have rules about screen time as well, when I was nine we didn't go on devices at all for the most part, neither did any of my siblings. And the majority of young kids nowadays are getting way too much screen time so it's even mentally healthier for the kid to experience something different than devices while being babysat I'm not sure how well I wrote that out 😅 but I would just highly disagree with this

(Plus, what fun is it for the babysitter to have to sit and watch some kid be on their device, it's a lot more fun for the babysitter to interact as well ;3)

Edited by Tater, 24 June 2021 - 05:53 AM.

[NougatTheHamster]

fun activities like baking should be fun; or maybe watch a couple of movies together. If your area allows it maybe even windowshop at stores lol sry i dont know much about babysitting or anything so this is probably no help 

[berryy]

Some questions to think about asking her parents are:
Any known allergies
Medical conditions
Typical behavior to look out for
What snacks they may or may not be allowed to have while you're there
If there's an emergency contact list
If the girl has ever been babysat before and how she feels about it
Rules about screen time
If there's any religious or cultural stuff you need to be aware of
How to discipline
And there's more you can look up online if you need

If you're able to, I would try to ask her parents what she likes to do before you get there so you can see if you can bring anything specific to her likes. For example if she likes coloring maybe bring some cool markers and coloring pages or just blank sheet of papers to draw what you want.

I haven't babysat older kids in a bit, usually I do younger kids (most recent oldest being 6) but I'll try my best to answer some of the questions

Since she is nine I know that kids are that age like to feel like they are an older kid so just make sure to treat her not as a baby lol. ​

I would try to maybe bring something that she doesn't do often, like teach her a new skill. maybe something like bead bracelets, or some origami would be fun. I know in the past older kids I've babysat have enjoyed board games.

Honestly I'm not really sure beyond that I'm not sure I helped much but good luck!

 

fun activities like baking should be fun; or maybe watch a couple of movies together. If your area allows it maybe even windowshop at stores lol sry i dont know much about babysitting or anything so this is probably no help 

 

Thank you both! 

 

I'm sure kids her age would use their devices and go online all the time lol. I mean it's 2021, what do you expect? You probably won't need to "play" with if you know what I mean. I bet you would be able to leave her alone to do her own things but just watch from far away.

 

True, but I agree with Tater in that her parents probably wouldn't want that. Thank you though.

[Tiny Ball Of Fuzz]

(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum- I'm not really upset.. just kinda stressed out ;-;)

 

Okay so my mom just texted me about a babysitting job for me, which is great and all (and I do want to do it), but its also going to be my first job, and I don't really have much time in advance.

 

Ideally I would like to have all of the necessary info on the child prior to the day of- but since thats tomorrow I can't really do thaaaat- which is kinda stressing me out. 0.0

 

The girl is also already 9, which may make the job easier, but also possibly harder since older kids are less easily entertained imo.

 

So uh- here's what I'm wondering from anyone who has experience with this:

 

-What kind of activities do kids her age typically enjoy? (even though it wasn't too long ago I have no clue what I liked at 9 lol)

-What all should I bring? 

-What should I ask her parent(s) before they leave (or before tomorrow if I can get a phone number). 

 

(I also have done a babysitting coarse for anyone who was wondering, I'm just slightly unsure on what to do with this particular age range. :'))

 

Thanks

I'm not that far off from 9, so maybe this'll help?

• One thing I know I disliked was people wanting to "play" with me, assuming I liked playing with little toys, while I instead loved to read, go outside, and play more mature games, like... Chess, for example. Maybe try to get to know her interests, and do stuff with those, instead of assuming what they'd like.
• One of my favourite thing to do was just do what I wanted when I was alone. Obviously, if her parents don't want her on devices, then don't let her go up to her room or something with an electronic device, but you know what I mean.

So the above things might not relate to her, because I have a feeling I was kind of weird... but the general idea of not assuming she'll like dolls and such anymore I think relates to a lot of kids.

Maybe ask her parents for medical stuff, allergies, emergency numbers, all that stuff, as well as if she can be online, stuff like that.

[IsAnyoneThere]

(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum- I'm not really upset.. just kinda stressed out ;-;)

 

Okay so my mom just texted me about a babysitting job for me, which is great and all (and I do want to do it), but its also going to be my first job, and I don't really have much time in advance.

 

Ideally I would like to have all of the necessary info on the child prior to the day of- but since thats tomorrow I can't really do thaaaat- which is kinda stressing me out. 0.0

 

The girl is also already 9, which may make the job easier, but also possibly harder since older kids are less easily entertained imo.

 

So uh- here's what I'm wondering from anyone who has experience with this:

 

-What kind of activities do kids her age typically enjoy? (even though it wasn't too long ago I have no clue what I liked at 9 lol)

-What all should I bring? 

-What should I ask her parent(s) before they leave (or before tomorrow if I can get a phone number). 

 

(I also have done a babysitting coarse for anyone who was wondering, I'm just slightly unsure on what to do with this particular age range. :'))

 

Thanks

 

A bunch of people here have a lot of good advice and also some advice that is too "mature" if that makes sense. A whole load of people we're talking to online here are only a couple of years (or even not that!) above 9 years old, and they are giving advice like "find out what toys they like to play with!!!"..... no, a 9 year old will most likely not want you to do "organised fun" with them. Yeah, they're a kid, but they're not a little kid. They probably have a very good idea of what they want to do with their free time, as TBOF said. It's belittling and condescending to assume that they'll want to play with toys or watch a film or bake with you. A whole bunch of them probably have forum accounts on places like here or like making TikToks with their friends. Check with the parents what their family rules are with devices. Some will be perfectly fine with them having their iPad or whatever in the evening because they may have had no electronic device access all day. Maybe the time that *you* are babysitting them is actually their 2 hours of device time? You don't know unless you ask. If might be that they just want to work on homework or drawing or whatever. You need to ask the parents, and remember to *NOT* assume that a 9 year old is a little kid who needs to be played with. They will have all their own devices, hobbies, homework, reading, etc that they will want to do

 

[edit to add]

You're not really babysitting in this case, so don't feel you need to be bringing along or providing anything. You are literally just there to be a legal guardian while the parents go and do something else. A 9 year old is perfectly capable of dealing with stuff themselves, to be honest, and could most likely just be left alone BUT that's frowned upon, hence babysitter. I assume you remember being 9 and how grown-up you felt and how annoying it was if people tried to baby you? Yeah. Approach this not as "babysitting" but as "being a legal guardian for someone who is a person with a personality and hobbies and their own homework and stuff to do" - you're not there to entertain them  

Edited by IsAnyoneThere, 24 June 2021 - 07:26 AM.

[berryy]

I'm not that far off from 9, so maybe this'll help?

• One thing I know I disliked was people wanting to "play" with me, assuming I liked playing with little toys, while I instead loved to read, go outside, and play more mature games, like... Chess, for example. Maybe try to get to know her interests, and do stuff with those, instead of assuming what they'd like.
• One of my favourite thing to do was just do what I wanted when I was alone. Obviously, if her parents don't want her on devices, then don't let her go up to her room or something with an electronic device, but you know what I mean.

So the above things might not relate to her, because I have a feeling I was kind of weird... but the general idea of not assuming she'll like dolls and such anymore I think relates to a lot of kids.

Maybe ask her parents for medical stuff, allergies, emergency numbers, all that stuff, as well as if she can be online, stuff like that.

 

 

A bunch of people here have a lot of good advice and also some advice that is too "mature" if that makes sense. A whole load of people we're talking to online here are only a couple of years (or even not that!) above 9 years old, and they are giving advice like "find out what toys they like to play with!!!"..... no, a 9 year old will most likely not want you to do "organised fun" with them. Yeah, they're a kid, but they're not a little kid. They probably have a very good idea of what they want to do with their free time, as TBOF said. It's belittling and condescending to assume that they'll want to play with toys or watch a film or bake with you. A whole bunch of them probably have forum accounts on places like here or like making TikToks with their friends. Check with the parents what their family rules are with devices. Some will be perfectly fine with them having their iPad or whatever in the evening because they may have had no electronic device access all day. Maybe the time that *you* are babysitting them is actually their 2 hours of device time? You don't know unless you ask. If might be that they just want to work on homework or drawing or whatever. You need to ask the parents, and remember to *NOT* assume that a 9 year old is a little kid who needs to be played with. They will have all their own devices, hobbies, homework, reading, etc that they will want to do

 

[edit to add]

You're not really babysitting in this case, so don't feel you need to be bringing along or providing anything. You are literally just there to be a legal guardian while the parents go and do something else. A 9 year old is perfectly capable of dealing with stuff themselves, to be honest, and could most likely just be left alone BUT that's frowned upon, hence babysitter. I assume you remember being 9 and how grown-up you felt and how annoying it was if people tried to baby you? Yeah. Approach this not as "babysitting" but as "being a legal guardian for someone who is a person with a personality and hobbies and their own homework and stuff to do" - you're not there to entertain them

 

Thank you both! This is really helpful.

[Lillias]

I agree that at 9 children are fairly independent, as far as deciding what to do with their free time. I'm sure the parents will tell you if they have any restrictions or schedule they want you to follow (ex: screen time, meal time). If you are babysitting at her house, she'll have all her own stuff there with her, so you only need to bring stuff for you (like a book, in case she wants to do her own thing).

 

I wouldn't plan activities, but you can join in with what she is doing if she's okay with that (like for an arts and crafts project or a game). Be accessible if she needs help with something or just wants to spend time together.

[Thatfuzballufound]

Fun things might be baking (just bring a box mix), watching a movie (ask parents whats appropriate age or just do U) and just let her chill, she might want to play on devices, who knows? I'm only a few years off 9, but when I was that age my babysitter (my 19 year old sister :P) just watched a movie with me and might bake a cake with me. I loved baking a cake, seriously, like it was the only time my parents would be like "Oh Yass just mess up the kitchen" XD. Also if she gets mad at you, just put on a movie that sounds good or start doing something fun and she willl be like "I dOn'T wanT tO mIsS OuT T-T".

 

Anyway, hope it goes well!

[Richardbaker]

I think it is not the best job to earn money, but if you love children, it can be a good chance to earn some money, and get more experience. For some more responsible job, you need to prepare better, and write a good resume, by the way, you can use some services for resume writing, but before applying, make sure to read the reviews https://resumereviewservice.net/ This website offers good overviews on different services, and all the information is based on the real customers' feedback, so it will certainly be useful for you.