It's never easy to leave your child with somebody else. You have to ask, “Can I trust this person to care for my child?” It’s not any easier to watch your child taking on “babysitting” responsibilities, whether it’s for siblings or others. One way to prepare your child for this big step is to encourage them to attend a Safe Sitter® course. Designed for 11 to 13-year-olds, this nationally approved training program prepares children for babysitting.

Most kids are just starting babysitting, or have only helped with siblings and family friends. Safe Sitter® helps the young sitter feel more knowledgeable and confident. It’s easier to stay calm when you are well prepared and know what you are doing. The program also helps parents feel they have left their children in good hands. 

Safe Sitter® emphasizes the responsibility a young person accepts when taking a babysitting job. We share the knowledge of first aid, rescue skills, behavior management techniques and life experiences necessary for handling medical, behavioral or household emergencies. We believe in the value of providing young people with relevant and medically accurate information.

Hendricks Regional Health is one of nearly 900 teaching sites nationally. We teach Safe Sitter® Basic. It’s one Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Topics include:

• Babysitting as a business
• Success on the job
• Child care essentials
• Safety for the sitter
• Injury management
• Preventing problem behavior
• Care of choking infant or child
• Introduction of preventing injuries and behavior management

Usually, I write about the “light” stuff. As a Safe Sitter® instructor since March 2001, this is something I take very seriously. My husband was busy with his work and our own kids were off to college. Teaching Safe Sitter® was a good way to make some extra money – but more importantly, I’ve found it’s a way to keep children in my life while helping them to learn to be safe and develop good business practices and parenting skills.

Check out our Safe Sitter® classes online. We have spots remaining in our August class, a fall class, and a class scheduled over school winter break. Call (317) 745-3553 with questions. Cost is $30 and registration is required. Hurry, classes fill up fast!

~Patti Carrington