Category: Jobs and Employment
Hi all,
For the longest time, I would have killed to have a babysitting job or two. My Aunty and Uncle never have been able to trust me with their little ones. My sister and cousins have always been trusted, but me, being the blindy, I've always been "supervized" with the cousins.
Anyway, I was just wondering if any one of you blind people have had experience with babysitting jobs?
I came across an aussie add on facebook actually, "findababysitter.com.au? I was seriously considering registering and seeing what happens.
Now i have a day time job, I could only sit on nights or weekends, even with older kids; they don't have to be bubs. in fact, maybe the older the better?
anyway would love to hear of anyone else's experience with casual babysitting jobs? How may you have been able to persuade their parents?
thanks, <gber>
Cheers!
I've been babysitting since I was 12 years old. I took a class offered through the red cross and became certified. In high school, I started working in daycares. After deciding that the major I thought I wanted to do, wasn't right for me, I moved back home and applied at several different daycares here. I got a job rather easily. Then I went to school and became certified and got promotions and all. When I left that daycare facility, I was the lead teacher taking care of 23, 3 year olds mostly by myself. I loved the kids, but it wasn't worth the stress and wasn't worth putting my license in jeopardy because the administration didn't do their part. Since 2005, I have been running a home daycare. I currently only have 2 children and am working on a new career.
I have never had a problem explaining myself to parents. If they had any questions about my visual impairment, I just answered them honestly and explained to them how I would go about taking care of their child even though I couldn't see as well as the average person.
I baby-sat once with a friend, Rachel. I've never done it alone, though. But I'd just do as Pippi said and explain how you'd do anything differently without sight. They should let you, especially your family, since they know you're totally capable.
XOXOXO,
Caitlin
like peepy, i have babysat since I was twelve. I have only been blind for eight years now. I still do watch my nieces and nephews and keep them over night. It has never really been questioned with me seeing or not! My friend has triplets and half the time I know there into something before she does. hehehe
thanks guys. Blind babysitters is not too well known here. I had a friend who did it a bit, but she had a lot more sight than I do.
I wonder if we have any red cross courses, as you describe Pipi; will ahve to check on that! :)
I've been babysitting for years. For several summers, I worked for a family who took in foster kids. So I was responsible for four, sometimes five kids at a time, ranging in age from 4 to 10.
During my first summer out of college I had a babysitting job. My employer was a coworker of my older sister, so it was easy for her to get to know me. I had to watch three boys ages 6,8, and 10 years. They were pretty well-behaved for the most part. I let them know that if they wanted to pull any blind-related stunts they'd be reported to their mom. This only happened once, and the little brat got grounded for 2 weeks. I liked the job overall. Especially after I'd put the boys to bed. The mom didn't have any problems with me watching her children. As for food, we usually ordered pizza, or the boys sometimes ate before I arrived. I don't think their mother would have objected to me cooking anything, they just liked pizza. This was a good first step for me into the working world, and it gave me some extra pocket money and a sense of accompolishment.
I'd like to babysit, but I'm not sure if any of the parents in my neighborhood would feel comfortable with me looking after their kid. and, since I am not usually around small children, I think looking after three would be overwhelming. I did babysit a couple of little girls ages five and two once. They were sleeping and their mom had to go to a funeral. The younger one woke up calling for mommmy, and shockingly, she recognized me when I walked in to the room. I knew her dad would be home soon, so I just gave her a toy to play with until he got there. I didn't want to try lifting her out of the crib in case it scared her, or I did something that would accidentally hurt her.