Full guide
How to start babysitting as a teenager
Babysitting pays better than almost anything else on this list and asks more of you than any of it. You are responsible for someone's child. Parents know that, which is why they hire on trust rather than price — and why the course, the references and the questions you ask are the whole business.
What it costs
What you actually need
- A babysitting course
- $60–$100
- First aid and CPR
- $90–$150
- A bag of things to do
- $20
- A phone that stays charged
- $0
The Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course is the one most parents recognise. Take it before you advertise, and say you have it when you ask.
Not required for most jobs, and the thing that will get you chosen over someone who does not have it.
Cards, a craft, a book. The difference between a sitter who watches a screen and one who gets booked again.
With the parents' numbers, the emergency contact and the address saved before they leave.
Borrow before you buy
Do your first three jobs with equipment you already have access to. Buy your own out of money a customer has already handed you, never out of money you are hoping to make.
What to charge
Pricing, honestly
Start at the lower end of each range. Raise it once five people have paid you without hesitating.
- One child, per hour
- $15–$20
- Each extra child
- +$3–$5
- After midnight
- +$3–$5 an hour
- A regular weekly slot
- Your normal rate
Look up what sitters in your town charge. Rates are higher in cities than in small towns.
Two under five is genuinely twice the work. Price it or do not take it.
Agree it before the night starts, not when they come home.
Do not discount this one. A booked evening every week is already the reward.
Your first five
Exactly who to ask, in order
Warmest first. Your first attempt should be with someone who will be kind about it, because you will be bad at it.
Person 1
A family you already babysit for informally — cousins, family friends — who have never paid you. Ask to make it a real arrangement.Person 2
Your own parents' friends with small children. Ask your parents to mention you rather than asking cold.Person 3
A neighbour whose kids you already know by name.Person 4
Your first family's friends. Parents talk to other parents constantly, and a good sitter is the thing they share.Person 5
A parent group your own parent is in — posted by them, with your course and references named.
Send this
“Hi Ms. Okonkwo — I'm Maya from number 9. I've just finished my Red Cross babysitting course and I'm available Friday and Saturday evenings. I charge $17 an hour. Would you like to meet first, maybe while I sit for an hour one afternoon so Theo gets used to me?”
Change the names and the price. Keep the shape: who you are, how they know you, what you do, the price, and an easy way to say yes.
Not optional
Staying safe
- Meet the family and the children with your parent present, before the first paid evening.
- Get the address, both parents' numbers, an emergency contact and any allergies written down before they leave.
- Tell your own parent where you are, who you are with and when you expect to be home, every single time.
- Never take a job with someone you have not met, however good the money sounds.
- If you feel uncomfortable at any point, call your parent. No job is worth staying somewhere that feels wrong.
- Know where the exits, the smoke alarms and the first aid kit are within five minutes of arriving.
Tell a parent or guardian where you are working and when you expect to be finished, every time.
The actual business
Getting them to book you again
- Leave the place tidier than you found it. Parents notice this more than anything else.
- Send one short message when they are out: “All fine, asleep at 8.” It buys them their evening.
- Tell them one nice thing their child did. It is true, and it is why they book you again.
- Be honest about anything that went wrong. Hiding a small thing costs you the family.
- Book the next date before you leave the door.
Anything about licences, taxes or getting paid under 18 is on the Ontario guide. More ideas are on the full list.
Free, for students
Want help actually starting one?
These are what people commonly charge, not what you will make. Look up what adults near you charge for the same job, then start a little under it and raise your price once you have five happy customers.
All the ways to make money 50 business ideas Getting your first customer