Nannying can provide a steady income and experience for high school students without the added pressure of an establishment job.
Nannying or babysitting provides an easily accessible way to make money without the responsibility of a “real” job.
There will always be families who have young children that need looking after; because of this, babysitting will always be in constant and high demand.
Unfortunately, babysitting isn’t an easy job to handle.
Con: Difficult to Handle
While it is probably a more flexible job that offers higher pay, taking care of children isn’t simple.
Children are unpredictable and chaotic, and it is a huge responsibility to take care of them. Parents entrust babysitters with their children with the expectation that their children will be taken care of responsibly.
Babies and toddlers are incredibly fragile and need constant attention. School-age children are sassy, rebellious, and loud, making them difficult to control.
Depending on the parents and number of kids, a student can make more babysitting than they can working at a minimum-wage job. Kendall Copeland, sophomore, said, “As much as I hate admitting it, I make more money babysitting than working at a real job”
Pro: Fair & Satisfactory Rates
High school is when most people start looking for and introducing themselves to working and having a job. However, there are very few good jobs looking to hire high school students.
The minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25. The hourly for babysitting or nannying is about $10-20 dollars depending on the age and amount of children.
Regardless, that is at least $2.75 more than minimum wage.
Con: Experience & Patience is Key
To make money, the parents have to be comfortable leaving their children with a babysitter. Someone with no experience in taking care of children will not get any babysitting jobs.
“I don’t recommend babysitting for someone with no experience with kids… there’s so much that can go wrong,” said Sydney Flowers, junior.
Taking care of children of all ages takes some level of experience. If a babysitter doesn’t know how to handle chaotic or stressful situations, babysitting might not be for them.
“Headaches, migraines…,” Copeland said in response to the question “Are there any cons of babysitting?
A babysitter needs to be able to take control of a situation and solve problems quickly. Something can happen to a child in the blink of an eye and the babysitter needs to be able to account for whatever it may be.
Pro: Spending Time with Children
Chaotic and wild as they may be, some people love children enough to babysit free of cost. Some babysitters see spending time with children as a pro.
Meonna Sloane, sophomore, said, “Yeah I really do like kids…I babysit for free.”
People who enjoy taking care of and spending time with children will see this job as an obvious choice. Babysitting creates the opportunity to gain experience with children and earn money while doing so.
Even for people who enjoy children, babysitting requires devoting multiple hours out of your day to taking care of children.
Just like any job, nannying demands time and energy. Babysitters need to come prepared and ready to take care of children. It is a babysitter’s responsibility to do their job and do their job well.
Con: Difficult Parents
Some parents may be unpredictable and ask babysitters to work last minute. Others may be unreliable and stay out later than promised or forget to pay their nanny or babysitter.
Some parents can be difficult to work with. Depending on the reason they hired a babysitter or nanny, parents can create issues as a nanny.
Overbearing parents can nag or be micromanaging while a babysitter is trying to care for their children. Absent parents can be unreliable about how long they want their babysitter to work or how much/ when they will pay the sitter.
Parents forgetting to pay creates an uncomfortable situation for both parties. Asking for money is awkward and annoying as a babysitter. Some parents will simply refuse to pay, claiming they already have; others will pay less than the promised amount.
Pro: Control over the Amount of Work
However, when a babysitter has reliable parents and enjoys taking care of the children, the job is much easier.
Babysitters and nannies can choose the days they work, the rate they work for, and the age and amount of children they care for.
Another pro of babysitting is the amount of control a nanny or babysitter can have over their work. There is much more control over how the job is done and for how much.
Babysitters can speak with the parents and negotiate rates and scheduling and change them at will. Parents cannot make a nanny or babysitter work more than they are willing to work.
This makes for a much less stressful work schedule and rates that each babysitter is satisfied with.
Babysitting or nannying provides an easily accessible way of earning money while gaining experience.
However, it’s not the job for everyone, especially those who do not like children.
Hi, my name is Valentina Fernandez! I’m a junior at LRHS. I love traveling, being with friends, and Halloween.