Related Directory Categories
- Babysitting (12)
- Adventures in Babysitting (10)
- Courses (3)
- Safety Tips (3)
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Babysitting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007) |
Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's babies. Babysitting is most commonly performed as an odd job by teenagers for extra money, stereotypically, but not neccasarily, girls. Babysitting can be quite lucrative, as rates of $8.00-$15.00 an hour are not uncommon. Babysitters are often employed on Friday and Saturday nights when parties are happening, and parents wish to go out. A babysitter is distinguished from a nanny by the term of employment; while some parents may have a regular babysitter "on retainer," so to speak, the sitter is normally contracted one night at a time.
The term "baby-sit" (from "baby" plus the agent form of "sit") first appeared in 1937, and its short-form "sitter" is attested from 1943. The use of the word "sit" to abbreviate "to baby-sit" is recorded from 1800. The term probably originated from the action of the caretaker "sitting with" the baby in another room, while the parents were entertaining or busy in another.
The American Red Cross offers a babysitters' safety course. This course teaches important saftey to babysitters. These include rescuing a choking victim, fire safety,pooping, and other important things. At the end of the course, the completee is given a certificate of completion.
- A Guide to the Business of babysitting
- Quality Child Care From University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Factors in choosing quality child care.