Dana Gutkowski
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
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No matter what the age of the child is that you’re babysitting, there are challenges that come along with it. I have covered the basics of babysitting infants and toddlers, so lets now move on to older kids. How do you babysit older kids?
Through this post, the term “older kids” will be referring to any child that is school aged, or kindergarten and up. The needs of a 5-year-old will be much different from that of a 5-month-old.
What are they dependent on you for?
- Maintaining a routine
- Snack/Drinks/Meals
- Supervision of homework
- Being escorted to activities
- Free time and play
Maintaining a routine
Children need routines and structure in their lives. That doesn’t stop just because Mom and Dad aren’t home. As their babysitter, you’re now an extension of their parents and should follow the house rules accordingly.
It’s also important to create your own rules where you see fit. Mom and Dad can’t account for every last scenario while they’re away. You have to adapt to your environment to ensure that the kid’s needs are being met and that their safety is maintained at all times.
Having a set routine that both you and the children know and can expect every day will make your job a lot easier.
Snack/Drinks/Meals
When kids come home from school or camp, they’re usually pretty hungry. You have already established a list of preapproved snacks with the parents. Some parents don’t want their children eating too much or anything too sugary after a certain time.
Even though they might be able to pour their own drinks, for younger kids, I usually do the pouring because I like to avoid messes. Many parents want you to dilute their juices with some water. If nothing is said about it, it’s better to ask cause they may forget.
If you are there long enough to serve them a meal, make sure that the parents have given you permission to serve them. Generally speaking, parents decide what’s for dinner, not the kids.
Never let the kids around a stove. Even if Mom allows them to help her cook, it’s not your place to take that risk. If they want to help, they can do something requires the microwave. However, even if you give them the task of using the microwave, make sure it’s supervised. I’ve unfortunately seen fires in the microwave too!
Supervision of homework
Most school-aged children will have homework during weekdays. If you’re watching them after school, you’ll need to make sure that they complete their assignments before their parents get home.
Parents will be tired when they come home from work. They’re not gonna want to sit down and scramble to complete homework assignments. Make it part of your daily routine to ask about homework. And don’t take their word for it – actually look at what they have written down and check their folders for any flyers and/or notes from the teacher.
Allow the kids to do their homework on their own, but if they have questions or problems, you should be there to help. Once completed, you should check it for them and go over any wrong answers.
If they need assistance, I hardly ever give the answer away. Have them use a dictionary to look up a word or spelling error. Give some hints if they’re really struggling, but allow them to problem solve as much as possible on their own. If they do it on their own, it’ll be more likely to stick in their heads.
The older they are – the more independent they’ll be with homework. However, everyone can make a mistake no matter their age, so it’s necessary to be their second set of eyes.
If you are helping the child do research for a paper or project, be weary of using the internet. It’s a great source for all kinds of information, but it’s also flooded with false facts and misinformation. Websites that end is .org, .gov or .edu are better resources than just Wikipedia.
Being escorted to activities
You may be asked to escort children to religious studies, sporting events, clubs, or playdates. The older kids get, the busier their schedules get. That’s why maintaining a schedule is so important. Without it, it’s hard to fit everything in.
Make sure you know the times for drop off and pick up. Never leave them without an adult present who’s in charge after you leave. Don’t go too far away from the activity either. Just because your immediate presence isn’t needed, doesn’t mean that it won’t be should something happen outside of the norm.
Free time and play
With all this structure in their day, kids still need a break to just be kids. Allow the kids to have choices with what they want to play with, but still, obey the house rules.
They shouldn’t play with balls in the house or anything that could potentially harm their belongings. Also, ask the parents about screen time. Some want to regulate their exposure to T.V., tablets, and computers.
Though it’s not always necessary to play with the kids, ask if they want you to play with them. Pick a board game, get out a deck of cards, plan a craft, or play a sport with them. It’s a great opportunity for you to bond with the children that you are watching.
Be flexible
Though it’s important to have structure when babysitting, it’s also important to be a little flexible without breaking their parent’s rules. If kids want to do things out of order or take a break between activities, that’s usually okay. As long as their homework is completed before their parents get home and they’re on time for their activities, wavering from routine is okay once in a while.
