Send This Page to a Friend
Babysitting and Your Teenager
Rachel Paxton
Babysitting has changed a lot since I was a teenager. My mom
didn't worry about checking out the families I babysat for
and spent time with. Maybe things were safer then, but then
again maybe not. Maybe she should have worried more.
As it was, I was very lucky that nothing really bad
ever happened to me. Just a couple of close calls.
I remember one time smelling something strange in a house where
I was babysitting. I didn't realize until I was much older that the
smell was marijuana. At the time I had my suspicions, but I
was too young to understand what was going on. I never told
my mom. I have friends that were molested while they were
babysitting, by people they didn't know. They never told their
parents either.
I don't mean to scare you. Well, I guess I kind of do. Do you
personally know who your teen is babysitting for? Fortunately
for my husband and I, we became Christians before our
daughter was old enough to babysit. At one time I would have
thought differently about the families we chose to let our
daughter spend time with.
That's not to say our daughter couldn't babysit for a non-Christian
family, or that all Christian families are safe. Our daughter's safety
is first and foremost in our minds. What's most important is
being at least acquainted with the family beforehand, and making
an informed decision on whether your teen should be babysitting
for them.
As our daughter has ventured into the world of babysitting, there
have been many unexpected benefits. The most obvious being the
significant increase in her spending money. Much to her
dismay, my husband and I feel very strongly about having
children work for their money. Our daughter receives a small
allowance in exchange for doing a few household chores. Babysitting
has become her most significant source of income.
Our daughter is an only child. She misses not having a little brother
or sister, and she can't at all relate to her friends who would gladly
trade places with her. Babysitting has given our daughter a
window into another life. Our neighbor has four little girls,
ages 7, 5, 4, and 2. Our daughter adores them. Their mother has
taken an interest in her and talks to her a lot about the girls, and
about being a mom. Their family is very down to earth and
provides a wonderful example of what a healthy family should
be. In today's world that's hard to come by.
Kids learn a lot from their parents about how to have a healthy
marriage and how to be good parents (or not). I can't
overemphasize the importance of role models in your teen's life.
Whether you're Christian or not, you can help choose the adults
your teen spends time with. Babysitting is an excellent, first-hand
way for your child to spend time with another family, helping them,
while also learning lifelong lessons (often without even knowing it).
Give some thought to where you let your teen hang out. If your
teen does a lot of babysitting, especially for one family, make
sure they're safe. Better yet, make sure they're good role models
for your child. The more your teen spends quality time with other
families and their children, the better parent your teen will someday be.
Copyright 2001. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer, mom, and
owner of four home and family web sites. For complete resources
for the Christian home, visit her web site at
http://www.Christian-Parent.com
Search Our Site For More Related Info
Also See:
Info for and About Teenagers
Index of Parenting & Raising Children
Our Health and Wellness Center
