Cradling for Cash

Nearly all teenagers want to have enough money to get items they want and objects that will make them look “cool.” Sadly, there comes a point for most where the “coolness” is lost and parents refuse to give their teens any extra cash to spend. Once this point is reached, teens will receive the classic line, “Get a job.”
The question afterwards is: What kind of job can I get as a high school student that will get me a lot of money and fast? However, the question should also be: What job will give me good experience for the future? Though there are many jobs that are satisfying payment-wise, there are only some that can give teenagers valuable life skills.
One job that is easy and will pay fairly well and can provide a good amount of life skills is babysitting. While on the job, a babysitter will usually need to provide a meal for the children, find ways to entertain them and ensure that the children get to bed on time. Although this may equate to a lot of work to some, the job has plenty of benefits, especially if in a few years one wants to work with children.
“I want to work with children in the future. With babysitting, I am able to gain experience and learn more about how I can interact with them,” senior Sally Nong said.
Nong has experienced babysitting since she was in the second grade, babysitting her younger cousins; during this time, she did not get paid. Recently, Nong began to babysit the children of her fifth-grade teacher and is now receiving payment.
“The most enjoyable part of babysitting is just taking care of the children and learning something new about them every time I get to see them,” Nong said.
Though Nong has only been a paid babysitter for a short time, she will be more than likely able to get more jobs in the future because she already has this experience and can honestly say she loves her job.
“You [definitely] gain experience! It is pretty satisfying because you leave knowing that you made the parents’ life that much easier just by taking care of their children for a few hours,” Nong said.

By StaffWriter Sarah Takhar