Babysitting is one of the first jobs a pre-teen or teenager might have. Taking care of kids can be a lot of fun, but it's also a big responsibility. Preparing yourself with child care, CPR and safety classes can help you be a better babysitter and make parents more likely to hire you. A number of babysitting tips are online for kids who would like to make caring for younger children a part-time job.

Red Cross Classes
The American Red Cross offers several classes that are helpful to babysitters. First is the Red Cross Babysitting class, which teaches pre-teens and teens how to be safe, responsible and fun babysitters. The Red Cross also teaches classes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid, which a babysitter may need in case of an emergency. Information on babysitting, first aid and CPR is available on the American Red Cross website (see References).

Safety Tips for Babysitters
The website My Child Safety (see References) offers a number of safety tips for babysitters. These include how to check a room for hazards that could harm young children, what information the babysitter should leave with her parents in case of emergency, and how to answer the phone while the parents are out for the evening. In addition to safety tips, the site gives tips to parents on how to choose the right babysitter. These tips can also be useful for babysitters seeking to demonstrate their responsibility.

The Business of Babysitting
The University of Illinois Extension Service offers a website packed with information on how to run a babysitting business (see References). The site covers the major age ranges and developmental stages of children and how to care for each one, how to do business, how to communicate with parents and how to respect the rules in each household. The site also helps prospective babysitters make a flyer with all the information needed to seek business from parents.