Babysitting has become a popular alternative for daycares throughout the years, gaining traction as a popular job for teenagers who are not old enough to apply for typical jobs. When it comes to babysitting, there are pros and cons that could impact whether or not a young teenager would want to pursue babysitting or a parent would want to hire a teenage babysitter.
One good quality of babysitting is the pay that the babysitter receives from the parents. According to Parents.com, the average hourly price for babysitting is $20.57 an hour for one child and $23.25 an hour for two children.
Another would be that the babysitter would get experience with taking care of children, which is good if the babysitter plans to have children of their own. This is also good preparation for some who want to work with children in jobs like teaching or nursing.
Something good for the parents would be that babysitters can be hired for anytime during the day or night. Rather than dropping the children off at a daycare, which usually has set hours of operations, they can schedule with a babysitter for flexible hours, like during dinner, which leaves them free to relax or go on a date.
Although there are many good reasons to babysit and to schedule a babysitter, there are also cons that should be taken into consideration as well.
Babysitting is not an easy task at all; whether they are well-behaved or troublemakers, children are a lot to handle. Having the patience to deal with the different personalities of each child is an important factor in whether someone will be a good babysitter.
The cost of babysitting is high, so, if the parent does not have the money to pay for a babysitter or is financially struggling, they may be out of luck. Alternatively, hiring a babysitter that has cheap prices can be dangerous as the babysitter may be lazy or have ill intentions.
Taking these factors into consideration before becoming a babysitter or hiring a babysitter may be essential to the safety and happiness of all parties involved.
