NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Babysitting isn't a new concept, but rather a common side hustle for teens during off time from school. It’s also a role that older siblings find themselves in due to a lack of resources.
The William F. Laman Public Library introduced its inaugural babysitting training camp to prepare Arkansas teens for a safe experience— whether it’s their summer job or a day when they watch younger siblings.
In the teen department of the Laman Library, a group of ten kids including incoming 11th grader Mya Pighee, received their first master class in babysitting.
Each one of them spent three days of their summer vacation back in a classroom to learn special lifesaving skills.
"I love children and I work with them often, so I wanted to learn the ways I can better take care of them," Mya said.
The three-day training is split up into three sections:
- Day 1: Basics of Childhood Development
- Day 2: First Aid and CPR Training
- Day 3: Self-Marketing
“Day two is handled entirely by the American First Response, and day three for marketing is in partnership with our tech hub,” Bekah Smith, manager of the Laman Library teen department explained. “So we'll be using our updated computer systems using Canva, creating all of their business flyers.”
Each day and lesson learned is crucial to the experience, both for the teenage babysitters and their siblings or soon-to-be clients.
Smith is the brains behind the training camp.
"I've been watching kids since I was one, so this has been about a month-long creation process to get it ready, but it’s born out of years of my own experience,” Smith said. “Many of our kids come in and are already in charge of watching siblings or cousins, or they're here as guardians for friends.”
8th grader Kennedy Stewart is one of those kids.
"My sister just had a baby, and I’ve always kind of taken care of someone's child," she said.
For Smith, providing these resources just makes sense, especially on day two of the boot camp.
“CPR and first aid training should be standard across the board for everyone,” Smith said.
The American First Response walks each student through each step of that process with CPR dummies on the floor and desks, all to prepare the teens for real-world possibilities.
"These kids are going to be in the home of someone with a child without another adult around and can step in to save a life if they need to,” Smith said. “I can't think of a better way and a safer way to leave your kid with someone."
This safety knowledge is key in helping the teens market to families, but Smith wants them to walk away with confidence and know that their own boundaries matter too.
At the end of the three-day training camp, each student is ready for responsibility and their summer job after receiving their certificates
"I had a great time, this is an amazing learning experience," Mya said.
Smith said the library ended up with a 35-person wait list after announcing this first-ever training camp. They plan to offer upcoming fall and spring dates to keep this completely free training available for teens.