Every wonder why they call it BABYSITTING? You're not always taking care of a BABY and, if you're really doing your job, you're not SITTING. In fact, a good name for taking care of a preschooler would be CHILD CHASING, right? Whatever it’s called, keeping a youngster of any age safe and happy is an awesome responsibility. Parents are putting their most valuable possession, the children they love, in your care. You, in turn, are putting your reputation as a reliable, responsible teenager on the line. The kind of job you do, good or bad, could even be a matter of life or death to the youngster whom you are trusted to take care of.

Not just anybody should take a babysitting job. You need to really like children, have a lot of patience and energy and be able to follow the instructions of the parent or grandparent putting trust in you. It's also helpful to have a sense of humor rather than take personally every little thing a boy or girl does or won't do. If you think that babysitting is for you, here is some information you will want from the adult hiring you.

The number of children with whom you will be left and their ages, the kind of transportation you'll need to get to the job…that is, will you be picked up and taken back home, or are you expected to walk, drive, or get public transportation? The hours you'll be working, the pay you'll be getting, what your exact duties will be, such as taking the kids to a play date at a friends, preparing and cooking a meal, monitoring their TV watching, helping them take a bath, giving them medicine, reading to them, helping them to do homework, putting them to bed, etc. Find out if you are expected to do some of the household chores such as sweeping up, folding clothes, etc.