Talk about busy: Juggling a demanding class schedule along with responsibilities as a babysitter isn’t hectic with a capital H. Whether you’re heading to an afternoon job after a morning at school or taking an online course during your free time, jockeying between roles can make you feel like you need a 25th hour in the day.
If you’re trying to balance school and work as a babysitter, you’re not alone. It’s a challenge tons of people take and there are plenty of benefits. Not only are you earning money and an education, but you’re developing key life skills like time management, executive functioning, communication know-how, and more.
Why Child Care is a Great Job for Students
Working as a babysitter can be among the most flexible jobs for students, whether you’re in college, high school, graduate school or a specialized program. Why? You can typically create your availability around classes as well as gain valuable experience for your resume or future job application. Looking for some strategies to balance both school and work in child care? We understood the assignment and gathered 10 tips to help you ace both gigs.
1. Set Your Availability
We know: It’s never easy to turn down jobs you want to do, but it’s also impossible to clone yourself to be in multiple places at one time. In fact, accepting every job and scheduling every inch of your schedule could put you on a fas track to Stressville and Burnout City. No fun! Be honest with yourself about your availability and set it in your profile. Take into account any exams or project deadlines as well as any extracurricular events you want to attend. Remember: Families are grateful to babysitters who are reliable. Saying no is way better than having to cancel last-minute.
2. Use Your Calendar
To prevent duplicate bookings or over-scheduling yourself, be sure to add any commitments to your phone’s calendar. And set a reminder! You can also color-code different types of events to help you. It’s also a good idea to build in extra time in between work and school so you’re not sprinting or speeding from place to place.
3. Create a Smart Schedule
If you’re in college or graduate school, you might be able to choose your class schedule. Opting for courses that work better for babysitting is a smart strategy to help land more jobs. Picking morning classes, for example, can be a good choice over late afternoon, when there’s typically a higher demand for babysitters.
4. Try to Be Flexible
Working with families means there can be some unpredictability, whether it’s a toddler with the flu, an unexpected work meeting running late for parents, or last-minute schedule changes. Be prepared that parents might ask if you can stay later or come earlier in certain situations.
5. Work with a Small Group of Families
If possible, try to babysit consistently for a few families. Doing so can reduce scheduling chaos and everyone knows what to expect in terms of your schedule. It also will help provide you with steady gigs so you don’t have to continually search for new roles. Having a reliable group will also build trust for you and the families, which ultimately makes it way easier to balance working and studying.
6. Carve Out Study Time
Try to keep your work time and your study time separate. Although you might think down time during babysitting means you’ll be able to study, you can’t count on it — even if a parent says the child will be sleeping and it’s okay to bring homework. Not only is it essential to prioritize child care when you’re on the job, but things pop up (a child who doesn’t want to sleep or isn’t feeling well). Be sure to block out time just for studying and other time for work — and treat both blocks as non-negotiable.
7. Be Prepared
Not to offer contradicting advice, but it’s not a bad idea to bring a laptop or book just in case. If the children are asleep or you’re waiting for a pickup, you can read a few pages or get an assignment done, especially if you have digital versions of textbooks.
8. Communicate Clearly
Got a busy week ahead? Let families know — and connect with them early. For example, if you predict you’ll have a packed week of tests or due dates, share that info so families don’t expect immediate responses. It’s also important to know when to say no. If a job is going to interfere with your ability to attend class or have some much-need down time, you need to set a limit. Consider scaling back your work during extra stressful time at school such as exam period.
9. Protect Your Sleep
Speaking of limits, don’t push yourself to the limits and shortchange yourself of the sleep you need. Not getting enough shut eye can impact both your performance at school and your ability to safely take care of the children you’re babysitting. (It also impacts your health, too!) Be sure to plan for late nights and do your best to get at least seven hours per night. It’s totally okay to set limits on how late you can work, particularly if you have an early school morning the next day.
10. Watch Out for Burnout
Balancing both school and babysitting can be exhausting. If you find yourself falling behind in your studies or start to feel super-stressed, overwhelmed and/or irritable, you might be suffering from burnout. Consider taking a little break. You don’t want to start dreading classes or babysitting jobs you loved, simply because you’re doing too much. Consider giving yourself a breather so you can rest, recharge and come back with more energy or enthusiasm.
Know You Can Do Both
The upshot? You definitely don’t have to choose between being a phenomenal sitter and a star student. By focusing on clear, open communication as well as smart scheduling and firm limits, you can find success in both realms while building great skills along the way. You’ve got this!
