Babysitting Basics: Caring for Kids

Children's Literature - Hazel Buys

The first paying job many pre-teens and young teens consider is babysitting. The job is not as easy as it might appear, and the likelihood of a successful experience is enhanced by a little training and advance preparation. Nine chapters provide a brief overview of the qualifications and responsibilities of a babysitter and offer specific tips for keeping kids safe, entertaining kids, eating, dealing with toileting, cleaning up, crying behavior, misbehavior and bedtime. The prospective babysitter is encouraged to take classes in babysitting such as those offered by the American Red Cross. The two-page chapters are brightly designed with ample white space, simple drawings, and photographs, which illustrate the text. Supplemental facts in yellow bubbles list pertinent details. Some chapters present situations, "What would you do?" with a "Simple Solution," set off in contrasting squares in a text-based role play of possible scenarios. The book, one of a set of "Snap books" on babysitting, concludes with a useful checklist of "Things you should know before the parents leave," a glossary, a list of Quick Tips, reference material titled "Read More," a referral to the www.facthound.com Internet site, a short biography of the author, and an index. This book does not address payment for babysitting services or problems that might arise if there is any disagreement about payment. It is a good introduction to the basic tasks of babysitting and would be a good reference book in a middle school library.