thumb|right|230px|Pastel painting of a nurse reading to a little girl, Mary Cassatt, 1895right|thumb|An episode of [[About Safety, a 1970s educational children's show, on the topic of babysitting]]

Babysitting is temporarily caring for a child. Babysitting can be a paid job for all ages, but it is commonly known as a temporary activity for early teenagers who are not yet eligible for most other jobs, especially in North America. For young children under care, babysitting offers a chance to spend time outside their parents' direct supervision; for the sitter, it's a way to earn extra money and earn experience in looking after kids. Babysitting became a recognized teen activity in the 1920s and gained significant traction in suburban America during the 1950s and 1960s, as the post-war Baby Boom created large numbers of young children in sprawling suburbs where extended family was unavailable for childcare. It prompted the appearance of urban legends, pulp novels, and horror films.

Overall

In developed countries, babysitters are often high-school or college students. Some adults offer childcare services working from home — they function more like professional childcare providers or educators than babysitters. Babysitting jobs can include anything from keeping a sleeping child safe, changing diapers, and playing games, to preparing meals, teaching the child to read or even drive, depending on what the parents and the sitter agree on.

In many countries, organizations offer babysitter training, especially in child safety and first aid for infants and younger children. These educational programs are often provided at local hospitals and schools. Babies and toddlers have different needs. It is helpful for babysitters to understand toddler developmental milestones to plan for necessary activities. Potential babysitters are often required to disclose criminal records to screen for prior convictions, particularly for offenses involving children.

Babysitting and gender

History

1920s

Despite women gaining the right to vote with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, traditional gender roles persisted, particularly concerning motherhood and domestic duties. Women's main duties included housekeeping, meal preparation, and caring for children. However, by 1920, women were about 20% of the overall workforce, raising concerns about women's independence. In 1863, after the Emancipation Proclamation, African American women began to dominate the domestic workforce due to limited employment opportunities and segregation. These women worked long hours for little pay, often receiving hand-me-downs instead. By 1870, over half of employed women were engaged in "domestic and personal service," reflecting the significant presence of African American women in this sector.

In 1901, a group of domestic workers formed the Working Women's Association in response to mistreatment. However, the association disbanded because of low membership. By the 1930s, domestic workers in Chicago faced issues such as employers offering work to the lowest bidder at designated locations known as "slave pens".

Laws in the United States

In 2007, the Supreme Court case Long Island Care at Home Ltd. v. Coke highlighted the lack of overtime pay entitlement for domestic worker Evelyn Coke, despite her extensive hours of labor. This case underscored the challenges faced by domestic workers regarding fair compensation.

Etymology

The noun "baby sitter" appeared in print in 1937, and the verb "baby-sit" was first noted in 1947. The <cite>American Heritage College Dictionary</cite> 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 represented 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 caretaker "sitting on" the baby in one room while the parents were entertaining or busy in another. It is also theorized that the term may come from hens "sitting" on their eggs, thus "caring for" their chicks.

International variations in definition

In British English, the term refers only to caring for a child for a few hours, on an informal basis, and usually in the evening when the child is asleep for most of the time.

In American English, the term can include caring for a child for all or most of the day and on a regular or more formal basis, which would be described as childminding in British English.

In India and Pakistan, a babysitter or nanny, known as an ayah or aya, is hired on a longer-term contract basis to look after a child regardless of the presence of the parents.

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Miriam Forman-Brunell. Babysitter: An American History. New York University Press, June, 2009.from English dictionary
  • Babysitting courses provided by the American Red Cross
  • YourChild: Babysitter Safety University of Michigan Health System
  • A guide to the business of babysitting in the United States
  • Quality Child Care From University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Factors in choosing quality child care.

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