by Dissie Dothe

Created on: December 03, 2009

A babysitting business can be very rewarding. You need to be a well-organized care provider. Being certified in some of the Red Cross programs like CPR, First Aid, and disease control will greatly help. You obviously need to keep up with child product reviews, recalls, and child safety recommendations. Providing a licensed babysitting service reinforces the value of your services.

Specializing in the age group that you want to care for will help you distinguish what programs will have the most benefits. 1-2 year olds are more likely going to adapt to an environment geared to learning the basics of learning how to put their shoes on or how to put them in their cubby. 3-4 year olds are just beginning to tune into cartoons, movies, and television and it can be more challenging to get them involved in activities. They do like sing-a-longs, child aerobics, and stories that incorporate show and tell.

Providing a daily theme helps children stay interested and focused. Having movie day with popcorn on Fridays may seem harmless but it does reinforce negative values. Friday is better suited as an exploration day and weather permitting, an outside activity in the backyard or a rainy day inside learning about dinosaurs.

When you have a baby on board, you will need some infant activities to stimulate their interest. Babies are use to a one on one contact but they are very easily persuaded to be involved in games that stimulate their five senses. Including some baby robotics in the exercise program is fun for the baby and the toddlers like them as well.

Keep a schedule for snacks and meals. Children have a hard time distinguishing between thirst and hunger. It is always better to offer them a drink of water before giving them a cracker or some apple slices. Offering family style meals will keep them from wanting to eat in front of the television. Use placemats at the table so the kids have their own space. This works really well when you care for a child who has allergies or every child at the table has different dietary issues.

When the day is ending, you can let the children get ready to leave by having a place for them to put the things that they are taking home, jackets or coats, and shoes. Short little activities like finger play rhymes or story telling will help with the anxiety issues of their parents' arrival. When the parents arrive, this is a good time to give the child a sticker or let them put a star on their chart.

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