If you love children...make a career out of it
Sunila Karir
Having a child of my own now, I am hit with the realisation that taking care of a baby is the most difficult thing in the whole world. I am sure a lot of heads must be nodding with agreement. There is nothing more frustrating than childhood tantrums and being on guard…and on your toes all the time. So it comes to me as a wonder as well as a blessing when I know that there are people in this world who love babies enough to make a career out of them.
My enterprising neighbour
I know of a neighbour who always had kids hanging around in her house. She would make extra food for them, spend money on art material and teach them craft and even when she went shopping, a few older kids would tag along with her, enjoying her company. She even had grills fitted to her windows so that no kid would fall out and get hurt…all this only because she loved kids. One day, she decided to make a profession out of her hobby. And that enterprising lady has never looked back since then. She rented a flat on the ground floor of the building and her baby-sitting services have been the talk of the locality ever since. It certainly helps that her daughter is a kindergarten teacher too since she has inherited love for children from her mother.
So, what does it involve?
Babysitting as a career involves no formal education and it is sort of a cottage industry which mushrooms mostly in big cities where women work from nine-to-five and live in nuclear families with no support system for the kids. But that does not mean that just about anyone can become a babysitter. You need to have an experience in taking care of babies, their nutrition, how to deal with them when they are sick and even child behaviour. Arm yourself with some handy books on children and child behaviour. Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child care is an awesome book to refer too even as a mother. It is available in most major book stores in India.
Do your homework!
If you want to start a babysitting service in your house, a certain amount of investment will also go into the venture. Safety precautions, toys, medicines, story books, clean water, clean napkins, food etc. will have to be considered. Of course, you could always charge an extra fee if you are providing food along with babysitting services. You may also have to hire an assistant or an aayah (trained with kids) in case you want to expand your services.
Take a big leap...go the corporate way!
We are soon reaching a stage where, like in western countries, crèches will be a part and parcel of the corporate package for young mothers. In case you have a well established baby-sitting service, you could also consider approaching corporations and offices in your area and offer to baby-sit their employees’ kids. After all, every working mother will wish that her child were as close to her as possible.
But are you really cut out for it?
But having said that, I must emphasise that baby sitting is not a career for anyone who loves babies. Here are a few things you should take into consideration before you actually begin a babysitting service…
- Do you actually have the patience to take this as a full time career?
Loving babies is one thing and looking after them is a completely different thing. Do you have it in you to clean up the babies which are not your own? Will you give them the same attention as you would your own child?
- Do you have support from your family?
If you are starting a babysitting service from your house, you will need ample support from your family members as well as your neighbours. Will they tolerate the noise and cacophony that comes along with the kids? If no, then you can opt to rent a place and operate from there.
If the answer to the above questions is yes, then I think you are ready to go.
How can you advertise?
Word of mouth is one of the best ways in which you can advertise your service. Your neighbours and friends can be the best publicity tool for you.
Design low-cost-pamphlets
Design a few low cost pamphlets and have your watchman distribute them to your neighbours in your building. In case you want to expand more, you can also tie up with your local newspaper man and have them delivered in your locality.
Cable advertising
In case you are doing your activity in a big way, you can always opt for advertising on cable TV.
Once the word gets around, you’ll most certainly have stream of clients waiting to put their babies in your care. So the next time you have someone telling you that you are really good with babies and kids…perhaps you may want to make these bawling, yelling bundles of joy a permanent part of your life.
