Any Websites for Babysitters Under 18 to Sign Up

I would never allow my 17 yr old to post on a website to babysit for someone we don't know. There has to be a better way.

Our HOA has a secure website where you can post for babysitting, house/pet sitting, tutors, etc. My daughter is on that one because it is affiliated with our neighborhood. STILL.... she is very picky and only babysits for people we know or have friends who know them.

Does your neighborhood have a community pool? Go to the pool in the mornings and be around when moms are there with their children.. Get to know neighbors, use word of mouth to your friends, church, school, etc.. My daughter is a cheerleader and is active with her school and has met families through cheer camps when she is working with the younger children. Network.

Help her network... Along with running our company from home, I also substitute teach at the elementary school that our neighborhood feeds into and my daughter attended K-5. My contacts at the school, with parents and children have helped my daughter get regular sitting jobs. We have neighborhood social activities and she ALWAYS goes because it is a chance to meet parents, children and network.

She currently has about 4 families all in our immediate area that she sits for regularly.

You just have to get out there and spread the word. Let your friends and neighbors know she is available as well.. they can help network.

Good luck

She should start her own list with people she knows.
That is what our daughter did with her friends.

Have them list their ages, their experience, where they attend school and whether they are CPR trained, phone number, email address.

Also if they drive and how many and what ages they baby sit for.

Then, I suggest she give copies to people in the neighborhood she knows.. Of course this can be emailed

I used to babysit for many of the teachers at my high school. Boy I had a whole list of clients going.

Also if she belongs to a church youth group, or school choir, drill team, honor society, they should also make up a list. let the front office know the list is available,or Mae sure the school website mention a list is available.

They can let people know to ask for the list. Especially at church.. It can be listed in the bulletin.

Definitely would say NO to Craigslist since you would have no idea who you are entering the home of. Our church doesn't put things like that in the bulletin but there is a column in the newsletter from time to time. A great way to meet moms is have her visit a local playground or park and give the moms a little flyer and introduce yourself during a busy play time. I definitely wouldn't let her just post them around. Put them in the hands of moms only.

I think her best bet is to spread the word personally to families she already knows/sees, etc. Church, neighbors, sports/activity team parents, etc. She could make up a little flyer & put it in doors in your neighborhood.

I agree, I wouldn't want my 16 year old going to babysit for someone she found on CL!

They don't allow underage girls, because there is a huge liability there. I really think it comes down to people trolling these site and hiring an underage girl under false pretenses. Girls get hurt that way. Please do NOT advertise your daughter on craigslist. SO many bad things happen on craiglist. Seriously, it's such a bad idea. Start in your circle of friends and neighborhood. People you KNOW. Tell them she is available to babysit, network for her. Do not services that advertise to strangers. That is dangerous on soo many levels.

The first thing she needs to do is to call the American Red Cross & sign up for a, 'babysitting' course. I had my GS's & my GD do these classes prior to going into the babysitting market, the cost is between $25-$50 the class teaches CPR, basic first aid, some psychology, games for children, etc.. At the end of the course which lasts for 8 hrs. (4&4 with a lunchbreak in between) they get their CPR/First Aid card & a certificate of completion. They get to keep their book & notes, etc. to go to when they might have a question in a given situation. With their certificate in hand they can go to ppl in your neighborhood with children & give their 'card' or 'flyer' with the info about their classes on it, if need be they can let the prospective employers see the CPR card & certificate.

I would have her go only to the ppl. she knows in the neighborhood, we used flyers but didn't put them up the girls simply took them to those neighbors they felt comfortable giving their info to. When she is in church, in the nursery I see no problem with her giving out her flyer/s, ask your Pastor/Reverend/Father/Bishop about it first just so you don't step on any toes.

Make sure that she states on her flyer how much she is asking for hourly & what days/hours she is allowed to sit, that way there is no question about $$$ or ppl not meeting HER standards as she has to meet theirs!

Good luck to her! :)