Let’s go to the babysitting definition by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The

verb to babysit means: “to care for children, usually during a short

absence of the parents; broadly: to give care.” Hence, a babysitter is

usually, someone who watches a child for a few hours when parents need

to be out of the house. Typically, it happens on weekends or in the

evenings. The person who is babysitting might be a teenager from next

door who needs some cash, or it could be a licensed professional like a

nurse. There are no strict criteria to describe the common portrait of a

typical babysitter. In other words, there are multiple answers to the

question of how to become a babysitter, ranging from finding an

advertisement on a pinboard and calling the number on the paper, or

finding an agency that specializes in recruiting babysitters for families.

 

 

 

The American Red Cross trains individuals on basic necessary skills for

babysitting. There are options to take the courses online or in-person,

depending on your preferences and how much time you have available.

In these courses, you learn things such as the basics of caring for infants

and children, child behavior, and basic first aid. Red Cross offers

certification for first aid and CPR/AED as well.

 

 

What is a nanny, and what do nannies do?

 

When we are talking about a nanny, we often picture a kind old woman

who is very close to the child and is practically considered a family

member. There are some definitions that describe a nanny as a someone

who takes care of a child and contribute to a child’s wellbeing, his

development, and his growth. Typically, nannies are also more long-term.

In many cases a nanny and child are very attached to each other. They

create a special bond that is different than bonds with parents.

Sometimes nannies live at the same house as the child’s family and have

their own room. We can describe different types of nannies: a live-in

nanny, a live-out nanny (full-time or part-time), or a nanny-housekeeper.

Nannies can have full responsibility for a child; they can be tasked with

meal preparation, engaging a child in different activities, homework help,

etc.

 

 

To answer the original question in short: a babysitter gives a child

supervision and is responsible for his safety, while a nanny contributes

her love and care to a child over a longer period of time and typically has

more responsibilities.