What age to start babysitting
My daughter and her friend are both 12, will be 13 in the summertime, and wanting to babysit to earn some spending cash. Both are pretty responsible young humans, but I'm curious as to what is the normal age for starting with babysitting jobs? 12 seems a little young, but I don't want to discourage them if this is a normal age for beginners.
Feb 17, 2025
Parent Replies
My 14 yo is struggling to get babysitting work. It seems like parents who have options prefer older teens.
We have a moms helper (13) that comes over and helps with mainly our toddler (1.5) and sometimes our 5 year old. She's fantastic and I think being a parents helper would be a good fit for your daughter. I appreciate being able to clean the house, pack lunches, do computer work, etc. while she's over. I pay $15/hr
For that age, I would try offering "parent helper" services rather than full babysitting. For example, parents who work at home might pay to have someone come and entertain the kids in the yard for a few hours, while parents are available on site in case of emergency. This lets them build a resume/customer base and show parents they are young but responsible. When I was 12 I watched kids during an exercise class, each parent paid a few dollars and again they were all on site. Idk if there are similar opportunities available now, but something to think about. Maybe also night time gigs where the kid is asleep and just need someone in the house in case of emergency.
I would also price it cheap. A few years ago when my daughter was this age she would charge $5-$10 an hour ($5 relatives, $10 non-relatives). No reasonable person will choose to hire a 12YO at the same rate as an experienced sitter who can drive the kids places.
Some 12YOs are very capable babysitters, many of them are not. If your kid is responsible no reason they can't do this.