Babysitting

Babysitting is temporarily caring for a child. Babysitting can be a paid job for all ages; however, it is best known as a temporary activity for young teenagers who are too young to be eligible for employment in the general economy. It provides autonomy from parental control, and spending money, as well as an introduction to the techniques of child care. It emerged as a social role for teenagers in the 1920s, and became especially important in suburban America in the 1950s and 1960s, when there was an abundance of small children. It stimulated an outpouring of folk culture in the form of urban legends, pulp novels, and horror films.

The majority of the time, babysitting workers tend to be in middle school, high school or college (12-). There are some adults who have in-home childcare as well. The type of work for babysitting workers also varies from watching a sleeping child, changing diapers, playing games, preparing meals, to teaching the child to read or even driving (if the age is right), depending on the agreement between parents and babysitter.

In some countries various organizations produce courses for babysitters, many focusing on child safety and first aid appropriate for infants and children; these classes or courses can be provided at local hospitals and schools. These educational programs can equip the babysitter with information to keep both the children being cared for, and the sitter themselves, safe in various scenarios. Different activities will be needed for babies and toddlers. It will be beneficial for the babysitters to understand toddler developmental milestones in order to plan for the necessary activities. As paid employees, babysitters often require a disclosure or assessment of one's criminal record in order to ward off possible hebephiles, pedophiles and other unsuitable applicants.

The term "baby sitter" first appeared in 1937, while the verb form "baby-sit" was first recorded in 1947. The American Heritage College Dictionary notes "One normally would expect the agent noun babysitter with its -er suffix to come from the verb baby-sit, as diver comes from dive, but in fact babysitter is first recorded in 1937, ten years earlier than the first appearance of baby-sit. Thus the verb was derived from the agent noun rather than the other way around, and represents a good example of back-formation. The use of the word "sit" to refer to a person tending to a child is recorded from 1800. The term may have originated from the action of the caretaker "sitting on" the baby in one room, while the parents were entertaining or busy in another. It's also theorized that the term may come from hens "sitting" on their eggs, thus "caring for" their chicks.

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