St. John Ambulance hosted a babysitting course on Saturday at Town ‘n’ Country Mall. Fourteen girls aged 11 to 13 were there, eager to learn about being a responsible babysitter. The 6.5 hour course covers physical and emotional care for children, as well as Basic First Aid and CPR training. Unlike this month’s all-girl group, there are normally some male participants as well.
“It’s a fun day,” said Bonnie Nelson, who was instructing the course. “I find it really enjoyable to work with the kids and help them to develop a responsible attitude towards babysitting. They’re very eager to learn at this age and treat it like a true job, which it is.”
She said they cover a wide range of topics such as bathing, diaper changing, safety and nutrition. At the end of the day participants are tested on what they learnt with as 25-question test. Providing they do well on the exam and the activities throughout the day, they are presented with a certificate.
“They’re really proud to get their certificates and eager to go home and start looking for babysitting jobs,” said Nelson.
For more on this story read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
