Many pre-teens and teens are interested in babysitting. Whether it’s to have a little extra money to spend time with friends or because they have an interest in caretaking, it’s important to identify if your child is really ready to take on the responsibility.

Is age enough?

Each state has child labor laws that inform the age of employment for your child. While Colorado law doesn’t specify a minimum age for babysitting, 12 years old is often used as a guideline. However, licensed psychologist at the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Colorado and professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Ayelet Talmi, PhD, expresses the importance that age does not equal readiness. Instead, it’s about maturity.

Maturity can look different for every child but seeing the signs that they’re ready to babysit can lead to their first job.

Signs your child is ready to babysit

First and foremost, your child needs to show interest in babysitting. There should be clear initiative, self-motivation and enthusiasm beyond making money. While it is a job and getting paid is important, your child should show signs of maturity alongside the interest in caring for another human being.

“A job comes with expectations and responsibilities,” Dr. Talmi says. “What is your child doing and showing you about their interest in babysitting, not solely driven by the fact that there's compensation? If your child is not demonstrating any interest in other children, not demonstrating that they can take care of their own needs or be responsible with a younger sibling, for example, you might wonder how they're going to do when they're taking care of other kids.”

Emotional and social maturity

When your child is ready to babysit, it means they can manage their own emotions, interact appropriately with other families, and make safe, thoughtful decisions when caring for someone younger.

“There are some kids who are naturals with younger children and have an easy time playing and engaging, and other kids that are much more interested in doing what they want to do without having the responsibility for younger children,” Dr. Talmi says. “This is where parents know their child best.”

A few ways parents can tell if their child is emotionally and socially mature to start babysitting include:

• Stays calm under stress like crying, refusing to cooperate or minor mishaps
• Handles emotional situations with empathy and patience
• Sets boundaries and can say “no” in a kind, but firm way
• Communicates clearly with kids and parents
• Makes safe decisions and knows what to do in case of emergency
• Can ask for help
• Respects rules and routines in different households

Responsibility and dependability

Responsibility and dependability can show up at home, at school or even in extra-curricular activities. Dr. Talmi noted a few things that may indicate your child is ready to babysit:

• Trusting your child to be at home alone or with siblings
• Picking up or cleaning after themselves at home
• Making meals and snacks for themselves and/or siblings
• Proactively completing homework assignments or studying
• Being on time to extra-curricular activities
• Keeping track of their belongings
• Being prepared for activities such as having their bag ready for practice or knowing their lines for the school play
• Follows rules even when adults aren’t around

Practical life skills

At the end of the day, babysitting is a big responsibility to ensure the safety, comfort and happiness of another child. To take care of another child, your child needs to show life skills to do it properly. Some examples of those may include:

• Can prepare simple snacks or meals safely
• Soothe an upset child using age-appropriate techniques
• Knows basic first aid
• Recognizes unsafe situations and knows how to respond, such as calling 911 or following emergency plans
• Uses phones or technology responsibly

Training and safety support

Like any other job, specific training can not only help your child feel more prepared but contributes to the safety of the children they’re watching. Babysitting classes, such as those provided by the Red Cross, can teach basic care skills, first aid, age-appropriate activities, behavior management and emergency response. If your child is interested in courses, there are many options for online or in person classes, including options to take training one step further and become CPR certified. Dr. Talmi highly recommends these classes for all babysitters as it shows their desire to be a great babysitter.

“I think it's always reassuring for other families when they've had extra education, particularly for younger babysitters,” Dr. Talmi says. “Participating in classes like these shows their extra interest in becoming proficient in something. That is the kind of initiative and motivation that you need when you are babysitting.”

While not necessary, other types of training including water safety or safe sleep education, can help build confidence and decision-making skills for babysitters to do their best. That can also include a detailed safety plan from the hiring family in the event of a fire, flood or other emergency to make sure your child knows exactly what to do in any situation.

Setting up your child for success

So, your child has shown interest, maybe taking a babysitting class or two and is ready for their first evening alone. But how can you prepare them to succeed?

• Try role-playing scenarios that your child may run into while babysitting. That may include asking how they will help a choking child, what to do if the child refuses to eat their food or go to sleep, what to do if the child gets hurt or even about home safety and locking doors. The scenarios aren’t meant to scare your child, but to help them problem-solve, especially in someone else's home.
• It’s important that you are available when your child is babysitting, whether that is at a nearby location or easily accessible by phone. Your child may have questions or need validation, especially when they’re first starting out.
• Suggest starting with small jobs, only a few hours at a time, and with known children such as siblings or a family in the neighborhood. Ensure you know the family your child is babysitting for and have their contact information.
• When starting out, avoid babysitting an infant until your child has more experience.
• Develop a game plan for transportation to and from the job, especially if your child is too young to drive themselves.
• Teach your child to say “no” or to communicate with you if they’re uncomfortable. Dr. Talmi suggests that children clarify boundaries and think about the things they’re allowed to do at home and compare if what they’re being asked to do is appropriate or would be allowed in their house.

“If somebody is asking your child to do something that they are not allowed or don't feel comfortable doing at home, they can say, ‘I'm not allowed to do that’ or ‘I need to check with my parents about that,’” Dr. Talmi says. “Parents then become the guardrails and the ones that can say ‘no’, which sometimes is very hard for a younger babysitter to do on their own.”

Things your child should ask the hiring family

Now that your child is prepared, it’s important that they have a conversation with the hiring family to understand the expectations when babysitting. Providing this information in an easily accessible place in the house can also help in difficult situations. Those topics should include:

• How much pay he or she is receiving from the job and ensuring that the pay is adequate for time, children and tasks performed.
• How long will your child babysit for and what time will the parents or caregivers arrive home to relieve them. Try creating a plan in case there’s traffic or dinner takes longer than intended, so your child isn’t left alone more than they’re ready for.
• Contact information such as their doctor, emergency contact (besides the parent or caregiver) and where the parents will be.
• The emergency plan in case of fire or other hazard that would require evacuation from the home.
• Alert of any allergies or special needs that may require attention
• Understand what the goal of the time spent together is, such as homework or play, and how your child can help.
• A how-to for following common routines like bedtime or mealtime. Dr. Talmi recommends running through bedtime with the family on a night your child isn’t babysitting, so they know what to expect.
• Any expectations and rules that may differ from their own household, like screen time, meals and snacks, appropriate movies, having friends over, being on the phone, taking kids out of the house that the family wants your child to follow while babysitting.

Overall, if there’s a secret recipe to being a good babysitter, Dr. Talmi says it takes two things.

“First, parents should feel comfortable and confident that their child is going to succeed when babysitting by themselves based on their own experiences with their child. Second, the child should be interested in doing the job. If they have that as the base and they're motivated to be a babysitter, those two things are the necessary ingredients.”