7 Reasons College Students Should Consider Babysitting

By Madison White on February 11, 2016

If there’s one thing college students are always stressed about, it’s employment. Instead of fake smiling while waiting tables or slaving in a retail store, why not get paid to sit on someone else’s plush couch?

Image via womensilab.com

I’m talking about babysitting. Babysitting can range through lots of variables of time, kids, and commitment, but almost always pays better than minimum wage. Some might not even consider it working at all.

Even if you aren’t crazy about caring for kids, here are seven reasons college students should consider babysitting.

1. Networking

While babysitting may not be the first place you look to network, it certainly doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities. Couples that decide to hire babysitters often have decent careers by this point in their lives. Take advantage of this! If you find yourself interested in their company or their field, be sure to mention it.

Don’t press them to give you an interview, but ask if they’re looking to hire interns or employees. This way, they’ll know to mention it to you if anything pops up. Plus, they already know that you’re responsible, personable, and trustworthy.

2. Hourly wage

What many college students forget about babysitting is the money involved. People who are going to pay someone to take care of their kids will make sure they pick someone qualified for the job. If you have these qualities, you can negotiate your price.

Paying well above minimum wage is not uncommon for babysitters. Venture out into the nicer suburbs and you might even find a bigger payout. No matter what, you probably won’t be doing much intensive labor besides making some mac n’ cheese or popping in a DVD.

3. Kid experience

If you have any interest in education, psychology, or even some medical fields, having real kid experience can be a huge plus. Learning about how to care for and deal with kids from a class is one thing, but actually doing it is a whole other monster.

To put it simply: kids aren’t easy.

You’ll have lots of trials and errors before figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Babysitting is also a great excuse to get a CPR certification, which also looks great on resumes. Having this kind of keen knowledge can help you greatly in surviving your first year in the field, especially if it involves kids.

And dealing with kids all the time can sometimes make adults seem like a breeze.

4. Flexible schedules

Babysitters don’t need a schedule. You won’t be obligated to rush between classes to try and keep your hours for the week. Simply pick a weekend that you don’t have a lot going on and make a bit of extra cash.

Unless you take up a regular shift with a certain family, feel free to work around your own plans. As long as you have a knack for managing your own time and sticking to your obligations, babysitting could be a perfect fit into your schedule.

5. Demand

You don’t need to sell yourself because you’re already in demand. There is never a shortage of parents in desperate need of a break. The brilliant thing about families is that there are always new ones.

For every one family you meet, they’re bound to have countless friends in dire need of babysitting too. Be sure to have the families you already work for recommend you to their friends and you’re bound to find yourself a solid clientele foundation.

6. Relive your childhood

Another great thing about babysitting someone else’s kids is that they’re kids! You get to do all the things kids love doing: going to animated movies, water parks, ice cream, and more. And you don’t need to feel embarrassed about it because you can always claim that it’s simply for the kids.

Reminisce on the simpler times in life by reliving them. Maybe show them how to make the perfect pillow fort or form the best snowball. Your memories are their new adventures.

7. Life skills

While you may not be thinking about getting married and having kids right this second, it is likely that you’ll decide to bring your own little bundle of joy into the world someday. Not only does babysitting count as an easy job, but as a tutorial for your life a few years down the road.

You’ll gain loads of skills by problem solving your way out of situations you never dreamed up before. And the amount of respect you’ll gain will grow exponentially. It may even be said that babysitting others’ kids is the best form of birth control.

Babysitting may be something you thought was reserved for your 16-year-old sister, but think again. Babysitting has many rewards alongside the perks of working on your own schedule and larger wages. It can benefit your employment not only now, but later on as well. Take these reasons into consideration and you may just be ringing up some families soon and asking them if they’re due for a night out.

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