Babysitting: let us think outside the box

As we get closer to schools breaking up for the holidays, arranging childcare is necessity for most parents. While there are a variety of clubs out there, hiring a young person to do some babysitting whilst entertaining them and helping with some school work can be an option worth considering.

According to Sarah-Jane Butler, founder and director of Parental Choice, "ad-hoc holiday childcare is by far the hardest form of childcare to find and can result in parents having to take time off work or paying in excess for camps and external childcare, especially if plans are made at the last minute. Using the skills of teens to babysit whilst you work or to top and tail other plans that you have made can provide welcome relief for both you and your children, whilst enabling young people to earn money during their own holidays.”

So what are the benefits to hiring a teenage babysitter? We highlight three:

Positive role model for your kids

From being able to discuss what to study for A-levels, why it is important to focus in school, sharing experiences and favourite hobbies. Teenagers can be very effective role models for younger kids, as they may be able to relate better to each other. So when you think teenage babysitters think good role-models for kids.

Productive childminding: sharing skills and interests

With babysitting it can help to think outside the box. Teenagers often have skills and interest that they can share with your kids. So playing / coaching sports, doing art work or even practising that piano can all be part of the babysitting package and don’t forget maths homework too! And the likelihood is that your kids may appreciate and listen to teenagers' advice more than sometimes they do to yours. Plus teenagers have boundless energy - just like your kids - so are more likely to do fun active things.

A cost-effective way of uninterrupted work-at-home?

Teenagers can sometimes represent a very cost-effective way of providing stop-gap babysitting and there are plenty of situations which fit perfectly with the lifestyles of modern working parents. For instance, you can be working at home or catching up on admin and paying a babysitter to do something useful with the kids - helping with homework or playing football in the garden.

Working from home interruption-free can be a gamble without a babysitter - remember this guy?

MyPocketSkill connects teenagers with households and businesses to create earning opportunities for them. Find TeenSitters that you can book here