How to make money babysitting

Working as a babysitter at university isn't just a fun way to earn money. It also has the potential to do great things for your career, too.

Credit: New Africa (background), Mictoon (left), luanateutzi (right) – Shutterstock

While babysitting is a popular part-time job for teenagers, many students forget that it can be an excellent way to make money at uni too.

When looking for a part-time job, chances are you'll focus your search on retail or hospitality. Making money as a babysitter is often overlooked. But it can actually be the ideal job to supplement your living costs.

In case you need some convincing, we've put together some info on how you can make the most of a student babysitting job. We'll cover how to earn more, learn more and use the opportunity to boost your graduate career.

Why should you become a babysitter?

Here are some of the best reasons to become a babysitter:

• It's generally well-paid work that is flexible enough to fit in around your uni schedule.
• Babysitting provides great experience to put on your CV. It shows you're a responsible, reliable worker who can be trusted.
• It's an excellent opportunity if you're looking to work with children in the future.
• You're likely to become more punctual and organised. After all, you can't be late picking up kids from school or you'll risk losing the job!
• Becoming a babysitter can potentially help you to make good contacts with working people (the children's parents) who can vouch for your character. And that means they can be a good reference to list on your CV when you start your graduate job hunt.

How to become a babysitter

Credit: amarax - Shutterstock

If you're unsure about how to get into babysitting, you can use these tips:

1. Create a website or an online profile that tells your story. Say why you love working with kids, mention if you have younger siblings or babysitting experience, and if possible, include a couple of references. Also, attach a CV somewhere on the page.
2. Make business cards and give them out at schools, parks, playgroups etc. (with a link to your online profile somewhere).
3. Start with people you know. It's a lot easier to get babysitting work with those who already know and trust you, so it's worth asking your friends and family first. If they have some work for you, grab it with both hands and then ask them for a glowing reference to get the ball rolling.
4. Join online communities and add babysitting to your LinkedIn profile as this will make you easier to find. Also, head to Facebook and join some babysitting groups for your local area.
5. Get a DBS check to make finding babysitting jobs much easier, especially if you don't have much experience or many contacts. It'll help reassure parents that you can be trusted around their children. But it's important to note that DBS checks can take a while to process and come at a cost, too (£18).
6. Join an agency. It can be difficult to get accepted by an agency if you have no previous babysitting experience, but you should have a quick Google to see if there are any in your area. It's also worth checking out Care.com, which lists a ton of babysitting jobs across the UK. Parents who are after an experienced sitter will usually specify this in their ad. So if you're a newbie, it should be relatively easy to decide which jobs are worth going for.

How old do you have to be to babysit?

Legally, there's no minimum age requirement for someone to become a babysitter.

But, some parents might feel more comfortable with a slightly older babysitter. Being older usually means you're more responsible and more able to deal with any problems that may arise.

And, while you can become a babysitter at any age, the parents or guardians of the child (or children) are still responsible for their wellbeing if the babysitter is aged under 16.

Are babysitters and childminders the same thing?

In short: no, babysitting and childminding are two different jobs.

Childminding tends to take place in the childminder's own home. Babysitters, on the other hand, will usually go to the child's house to look after them.

And there are legal differences too. If you want to get paid to regularly look after a child under the age of eight in any place other than their home, and for any time longer than two hours, you'll need to be registered with Ofsted.

In order to become a registered Ofsted childminder, you must have paediatric first aid training, DBS checks, insurance, safeguarding training and be able to deliver the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum).

This all takes a fair amount of time. It's partly why (unlike babysitting) childminding is usually considered to be a full-time job.

So, unless you want to fall foul of the law, it's probably best to stick to looking after children in their own home (unless they're aged eight or over, of course).

How much should you charge for babysitting?

Credit: Ann in the uk – Shutterstock

While babysitting will generally pay pretty well, there are always ways you can up your game to make a bit more cash.

Payment can be a bit of a grey area when it comes to babysitting. It really depends on your postcode (you'd charge more in London than you would do in the Midlands, for example), your experience and the responsibilities involved in your role.

Are you preparing meals, cleaning the house or are you just relaxing and playing? Your hourly rate should reflect what's expected of you.

Childcare.co.uk lists the typical babysitting rate at between £8 – £12 per hour, but says that in some areas, such as London, the going rate is more like £15 per hour or more. As such, the best option would be to do some research of your own and decide on your own hourly rate. This regional comparison tool is a good place to start.

How to earn more money babysitting

Here are the best ways to make more money as a babysitter:

1. Offer to stay overnight or for the weekend

   Staying overnight with the kids, or even for a whole weekend, is a great way to make big bucks. If mum and dad want to go away overnight and they trust you to look after their children for that long, jump at the chance.

   Charging an hourly rate probably isn't appropriate in this case. So, agree on a fixed sum beforehand that represents a fair return on your time.

2. Work breaks and bank holidays

   Making yourself available over the holidays doesn't just help the parents – it also lets you up your charges.

   For New Year's Eve, charge double your hourly rate. And on bank holidays, time and a half is normally acceptable.

3. Be flexible with your availability

   

   Credit: Chutima Chaochaiya - Shutterstock

   The key to earning the most money as a babysitter is to make yourself available to look after the kids at times that are particularly tough for parents.

   If they know they can call you out of the blue and ask you to look after a little one who's woken up with the flu so they can go to work, they won't forget it. Plus, they might even tip you for being so helpful.

4. Offer to babysit at parties and events

   Letting the family know you're able to look after more kids for events like dinner parties is a great way to make more cash.

   For example, if they're having a big gathering or party at home, you can offer to keep all the children entertained (including the guests' kids) so they're not running riot.

   You could even make yourself available to attend weddings or parties at other people's houses with them too.

   This will also help you impress other families with your great babysitting skills. So, remember to take those business cards with you.

5. Ask for travel expenses

   If you're working later in the evenings, make sure you ask for the taxi fare for your trip home.

   Taxis can be pricey. Parents should respect that this is an additional cost involved in hiring you to work in the evening.

   If they don't agree to pay the fare, compromise by asking for a slightly higher hourly rate for night shifts.

6. Tutor the children while babysitting

   

   Credit: Dan Race - Shutterstock

   One of the biggest perks of being a student babysitter is that your university education makes you a perfect candidate to become a tutor too.

   If you're particularly strong in a certain subject that's of use to them, you could offer to do an additional couple of hours of tutoring each week.

   And if you speak a second language, this is a prime opportunity to make some money from it. Parents are usually quite keen for their kids to learn another language.

   But whatever you're teaching them, remember you should always charge more for this extra service.

How to be a good babysitter

Here are some tips on being a good babysitter:

1. Engage with the kids – Ask questions, take an interest and remember things they tell you. Children are used to having to fight phones for human attention, and if they feel like you're preoccupied, they may act out.
2. Clarify house rules before you start – Remember that children will assume you don't know the rules and will encourage you to bend them. This is just how kids work! Make sure you know the ins and outs of what is and isn't allowed before you're left in charge.
3. Plan activities – Sitting in front of the TV with children isn't exactly interesting. And if they're bored, they'll let their parents know one way or another. Try to think of fun stuff you can do with them so that they look forward to you babysitting them (this will look great!). Board games, art, going to the park with friends – this stuff all earns you brownie points.
4. Give the parents a tidy house to come home to – While you're in charge, you're also responsible for keeping the house in check. You can't underestimate how important it is for parents to come home after a tough day to find a house that's calm, clean and tidy.
5. Report back – When the parents get back, let them know what you've got up to with the kids. Parents love to get an insight into how you've engaged with their children. Plus, telling them little details about what happened shows you're paying attention and not leaving them in front of the TV the whole time.
6. Be reliable and stick to your word – You can't even imagine how big a nightmare it is for a parent if a babysitter cancels at the last minute. Always give as much notice as possible if you ever need to cancel.
7. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with – If you don't feel confident with something (be it the children having friends over, driving them somewhere or being responsible for them in a busy place), just say no. You need to be comfortable and confident so that the kids are as safe as they can be.

Looking for more ways to make money? Check out this list of ways to make money quickly.