When people think of teenagers that have jobs they often think of kids working at grocery stores, in small boutiques or shops, or as assistant coaches on sports teams for younger children. However, not many people would think that babysitting qualifies as a job.
Some students that do not have the time to have a part time job in addition to their school work and sports often babysit when they can spare the time.
Babysitting for neighbors, friends, or family is usually more convenient for high school students because the work hours are more manageable.
“I would rather babysit than work a normal job because the hours are more flexible and your boss trusts you more, considering that they leave their child or children with you,” said junior Mariya Chichmarenko.
Babysitting is a job that requires a more personal bond and mutual trust between the boss and employee, or in other terms, the parents and the teenager. Parents do not just leave their children with any random stranger, they have to know who they are leaving their children with on a personal level.
“It is definitely nicer to babysit rather than have a normal job because of the flexible hours but it also requires you to know the family really well and create a sense of trust. Babysitting teaches you a lot about parenting and how to be patient with others,” said junior Isabel Zwass.
Supervising and entertaining kids is a task that requires a lot of responsibility and maturity.
“Little kids can definitely be mischievous at times. They get into trouble pretty easily so when you’re in charge of them you have to be attentive,” said junior Raine Kerhin.
There are advantages and disadvantages to babysitting compared to having a more regular job. Babysitting can be done at almost any time and the pay is specific to the babysitter while other jobs have more regular hours and the pay is generally the same for most of the employees.
Another advantage to babysitting is that it is acceptable to multitask on the job.
“When you are babysitting you can do stuff like homework or just relax and play with the kids. With a regular job you don’t really have that freedom,” said Chichmarenko.
While babysitting is much like having a regular job it is also different in many aspects. Although, in the end, all jobs require employees to be mature and responsible in their actions.
