Baby Food Facts

In America, babysitting has always been a respected job among young people; something near to home to make some extra money without the usual downfalls that come with a part-time job. Teenagers would often plan their strategies for summer break on how best to promote their services, getting as many good quality babysitting jobs as they could manage. But these days babysitting jobs are starting to fade.

As a youth worker, many hours of my week are spent with high school students, who, not long ago, were the CEO’s of the babysitting industry. But out of those I’ve talked to, only a handful consider babysitting a reasonable option for a job during their summer break, and none of them actively promote themselves. It surprised me. It was less than fifteen years ago when babysitting seemed to be a bustling enterprise. My older sister was one of the many who made a consistent $400 a month from babysitting jobs, which was huge in those days.

Things have begun to change. Though the need for babysitters is at an all time high, the demand is spiraling down. The only explanation I can see for this phenomenon, is the growing lack of perceived security in our neighborhoods. Fifteen years ago or so, when babysitting was in full swing, kids would often spend entire days playing in public parks with friends, unsupervised yet generally safe all the while. I myself can still hear the quintessential line called out from my mother as often I would sprint from my house: “Make sure you’re home by dinner.”

But these days, kids stay close to home, only going to parks with their parents. With the decay of perceived security in our neighborhoods, it looks as though babysitting jobs are dwindling as well. The crisis goes further. During the old days that some of us still remember, it was a common courtesy for neighbors to knock on the doors of newcomers to the neighborhood, welcoming them with cookies and getting to know them. But in today’s day and age, with documented lists of registered sex-offenders available to the public, scores of neighborhoods countrywide are being put on alert when dangerous persons move into town. Neighbors are often distrustful of those living near them, and wouldn’t jeopardize their children by hiring someone as a babysitter unless they know them very well.

Though caution is generally warranted, it’s hard to see the effect on babysitting jobs. Babysitting was once the perfect job for high-schoolers on summer vacation, or those just wanting a little cash without having to look for part-time work.

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