Babysitter Training Course

Published: 2020
By Mikayla Hudson

A babysitting course was offered to help middle school and teenage youth learn what it takes to be a responsible, caring, trustworthy, and safe babysitter. A group of 16 youth ranging from fourth to ninth grade came together for seven hours of training over the course of several weeknights. Students actively participated in learning new skills including safety, understanding child development, nutrition, discipline and first aid. Many the student participants care for younger siblings already, so the class content had immediate positive impacts on local families. Some of the youth participants also have plans to babysit for others so the business planning aspect of the course was well received. Students learned a lot and the parents enjoyed hearing about the class on the drive home. A parent shared feedback that “My daughter always loves classes with hands-on activities, and culinary arts is a passion, so the nutrition night where they made a healthy and fun recipe was her favorite. She's been excited to create a babysitter magic bag full of fun things to take to her first job." This was a fun and engaging class, and plans are being made to offer another based on the interest and positive feedback received.