Children playing on inflatable playground

Babysitting is one of the easiest ways to earn extra cash. No? Even though it sounds easy, babysitting is one tough job. It entails a lot of responsibilities and multiplies with every child. But if ever you had to do it, you just have to remember that basically it’s just making sure those kids are all right and happy. But how exactly do you do that?

Babysitting should be fun. Think of it as a slumber party where your attendees are all kids.

Be a kid yourself for a while. You can prepare a line of fun activities for them, like watching the newest episode of their favorite show. Kids will appreciate it if you watch with them that new Pooh movie and will totally hate you if you keep rolling your eyes all throughout their Barney CD (Don’t you just want to murder the purple crud?). The last thing you want is a tantrum. Just be happy that they’re happy. At least until the show is over.

Don’t give them too much sugar. This tends to make them go hyper (you don’t want to spend the whole night chasing them around the house). You can prepare some healthy snacks for them like biscuits and fruits. Some popcorn or sandwiches will do. When they see that you’re also fun, they might think you’re cool so they’ll listen to you and your not-so-strict rules.

Be on their side. Kids hate it when you come on too strong or too dictatorial. Don’t boss them around even if they’re hard to control. Kids are kids. Sometimes all it takes for them to behave is a promise that you’ll give them a candy in the morning.

In case of emergency. The most important thing is to know the numbers of the kids’ parents so you can contact them if something bad happens. It is important to have fun with the kids, but always keep in mind that safety is the first policy.