How to Start Babysitting as a Teen: Make Money and Build Responsibility

CASH KID

S3E5 How to Start Babysitting as a Teen:

Make Money and Build Responsibility.

Cash Kid: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Cash Kid Podcast, where we highlight young entrepreneurs who are finding creative ways to earn, save, and invest money early in life. Today we are featuring another awesome teen who's balancing it all, school, babysitting, and even carpool pickups to make some extra money on the side. If you aren't already, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube @ Cash Kid Podcast.

Cash Kid: And sign up for a mailing list if you haven't already. Now, this student is proving that you can take on responsibility, help out your community, and learn valuable life skills while still being a student. Whether she's babysitting kids after school, or helping out with carpool runs, she's finding smart ways to bring in cash, while managing her busy schedule.

Cash Kid: In this episode, we'll dive into her story, how she got started, and what it takes to balance work and school life. So let's jump in and meet today's Cash Kid. Kennedy Teal, welcome to the show. And first off, Kennedy, tell us a little bit about yourself. Hey

Kennedy Teal: Cash Kid, it is so great to be on. [00:01:00] Thanks so much for asking me.

Kennedy Teal: Um, so yeah, I'm Kennedy. I'm a junior college student at Sanford University and I come from Johnson City, Tennessee, which I've loved, but I also love Birmingham. It's been an awesome home and yeah, I'm studying interior design and I love babysitting since the very beginning of like my preteen years. So thanks so much for asking all these questions.

Cash Kid: Yeah. So, um, what really inspired you to start babysitting and offering, like, carpool pickups? Was it something like you've always wanted to do, or did the opportunity just, like, come up unexpectedly?

Kennedy Teal: So, a little bit about myself some more is that I'm an oldest of six kids. So, I've kind of just always been around kids. I've been used to, like, kids. I've been babysitting since I was probably nine for my siblings, so I've just kind of been in that role forever, and I've also loved it, and it's come a little bit naturally to me. So, I think probably when I was around 14 years old, I started just babysitting for my community, and for my church, and for small groups, and [00:02:00] stuff like that.

Kennedy Teal: So, like, little jobs. Like, small groups that I didn't have to drive towards, but I was still, like, hanging out with kids and stuff like that. Um, so yeah, it was something that I've always kind of been infused with since I was younger. Um, but yeah, I loved it.

Cash Kid: That's amazing and how, like, you kind of, like, was something that you went to and then you turned what skills you have into a way to make money. That's kind of like all that we're talking about on the Cash Kid Podcast. So how do you balance school babysitting and carpool duties? Like what is a typical day or week look like for you?

Kennedy Teal: Yeah, good question because it can be a lot. But gladly, my work, my school schedule works very well with me. Um, so my typical week kind of looks like my Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Kennedy Teal: I have class from like 8 to 3:30. So most of those days I am in class all day. Um, occasionally I will do some pickups after those 3:30 classes. So, if like someone needs to go to tennis or horseback riding or something like that. I do pick up a few of those shifts in the later [00:03:00] afternoon.

Kennedy Teal: Um, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are my main days that I just go from like probably 8 until 6 or sometimes even 9. Um, so yeah, I've roped off those days so that I can just fully like, Um, not all of those hours are used every week because my weeks kind of look different each week. Um, so sometimes Thursday mornings, I won't babysit, so I'll be able to like go to a coffee shop and do some homework.

Kennedy Teal: Um, or like in the evenings, I'm not used as late, so then I can get some homework in as well. So, it's a balance for sure, but just trying to figure out what works well for me. And since I have been doing this for a while, I kind of know my limits and my balance and what works for me. So, yeah.

Cash Kid: Yeah, I totally agree with that. It's just like time management, it’s such a big and important factor whenever you're starting a business or a side hustle. So, what has been the most challenging part of juggling all your responsibilities? How do you handle it when things get overwhelming?

Kennedy Teal: Yeah, that's a great question because I don't even know if I do handle it very [00:04:00] well.

Kennedy Teal: Um, but I think since I'm just used to this, like it's something that just is so second hand. So, it's so natural, um, that I don't even kind of blink twice about it. Like I've been balancing this. Since high school, so high school, I had a block schedule as well. So, I went from eight to three and then I would go babysit in the afternoons.

Kennedy Teal: So it's something that's kind of just routine and I have gotten used to it and I've learned kind of my balance of like what, how much schoolwork I need to commit to the project or what I need to do for this or that. Um, so it definitely is challenging, but I think just kind of knowing myself and my limitations.

Kennedy Teal: Um, but I also would say babysitting is an awesome job because it is so flexible and it doesn't ever feel like work to me. So, like that is such a big blessing that like I get to go to work after a long day of classes, but it doesn't feel like it. Like I get to go hang out with kids or I get to go drive them to their sports or whatsoever. So it feels like it's very manageable and I can balance it because it's not a crazy strenuous job, you know what I mean?

Cash Kid: [00:05:00] So what skills do you think you've gained from babysitting and doing carpool pickups? Have you learned like anything that will help you later in life?

Kennedy Teal: Absolutely. I've learned multitasking. I've learned responsibility. I've learned patience. I've learned Leadership, I've learned how to address adults and have those conversations. I've learned how to you know, like figure out kids and how to address them if they're like having a meltdown in a park, you know. Just some things like that, um, that are great social skills for me.

Kennedy Teal: Um, so yeah, I think I've been able to like have those experiences that help me very well and I think that those are all going to just grow me as a person as an adult as a mom as Um, a business woman, like if that's something that's in my future. Um, so I think all of those are very beneficial attributes.

Cash Kid: Yeah, I totally agree with that. The more skills you can make as a kid, the easier your life will be. So, what do you do with the money [00:06:00] you earn? Are you saving it, spending it on something special, or maybe even investing it?

Kennedy Teal: Yeah, great question. For me, my weeks do look a little bit different with babysitting. My hours do vary, um, which is something that I don't mind at all. I kind of do like the flexibility. I like that that each week is different, that I don't have a schedule. start and end time that it's kind of changing, um, it makes each week kind of seem different and interesting. So, with that being said, my money and my income does fluctuate each week.

Kennedy Teal: So, it's taught me how to be very responsible and very planned with how I spend my money. So, it is something that I do have to look at kind of at the end of the month and kind of see what I'm like making on an average and how I can spend that wisely, how much I need to save, how much I need to give. And then what do I have left to spend on coffee and some new earrings, you know?

Kennedy Teal: So, there's definitely a balance. Um, but it has taught me a lot of responsibility and being [00:07:00] very, um, cautious with how I spend my money because it's not a set income.

Cash Kid: Yeah, um, so babysitting and carpooling requires a lot of trust from parents. How did you build that trust with families, and what advice would you give to other teens who want to start similar jobs?

Kennedy Teal: Yeah, absolutely. I think what helped me in the very, very beginning was I started taking on jobs that were around the parents. So, like, babysitting at a small group. So, like, they would drop their kids off in the basement and I would play with them. They would come and check in on them. So, they were seeing how I was interacting with their kids, engaging, keeping them safe being in a very calm and peaceful kind of mindset for them. Um, and I think that grew my credibility. So those parents could see that I was trustworthy and responsible with their kids in a kind of safe environment with them near. And so, since kind of, since I was 14, I kind of just grew and grew and grew with how my relationships with those parents.

Kennedy Teal: Um, and then that just led to references. So, like, people would pass [00:08:00] my name on to this person and this person. So, it just kind of like grew my credibility. Um, since starting in such a small spot. Um, but yeah, it's grown and now I'm a junior in college and have awesome families and, and awesome references because they are just, they are so awesome to me.

Kennedy Teal: Um, so yeah, it's something that is Kind of weird to work through of like, how do I even get started? How do people trust me? But I think it also is something about like you feeling confident about how you are and how you enter a room and how you interact with the kids. It really is all about the kids. That's kind of the only thing the parents are looking at is how you engage them how you get on their level. It’s like liking what they like.

Kennedy Teal: So, like my little girl that I babysat she loves to get, uh, Dutch braids in her hair. So, like, the first day I came and started, she was like, Do you know how to braid hair? And I was like, well, of course. So, like, we immediately, like, got on the ground, and I started, like, braiding her hair. Um, so just things like that I think parents are looking for, and I think that builds a lot of trust [00:09:00] in their hearts when they see that you're engaging, and you get on their level, and you're not, like, better than them or whatever.

Cash Kid: So, do you see yourself continuing with like these jobs in the future? Or do you have like a different business idea or like career in mind as you grow older?

Kennedy Teal: Yeah, I definitely see myself finishing out college babysitting because it is something that I just truly love. And I hate that I do feel like I see an end mark in this kind of chapter in this career.

Just because I will probably have um, a career in interior design when I graduate. Um, so that doesn't mean that I have to give up all of my babysitting job. I'm sure I'll do some date nights here and there and free time on the weekends. Um, but I do see kind of my career and my day to day shifting once I graduate. Um, so that is something sad, but, um, I've also loved it and it's not going anywhere. Like, you know, I'm still around, so.

Cash Kid: Do you ever find it hard to like keep up with schoolwork or have you found ways to stay organized?

Kennedy Teal: I [00:10:00] definitely love my planner. That is what keeps me very, very organized. Kind of at the beginning of the week, my families are awesome to send me dates. Um, and because my schedule is a little crazy and cramped, I'm really blessed to have people sending me dates like in a month in advance. Okay. So, I can kind of just schedule in things very far in advance so that when my week comes I know what's on the list. I know how to prep for that Um, and then I also know my class schedule and I know my other responsibilities outside of school and babysitting so definitely invest in a planner get all your dates set up.

Kennedy Teal: Um, and then, yeah, the biggest thing is if you can get your families to give you heads up for in a far in advance, that is very, very helpful with staying organized and not getting overwhelmed with school because you know what the next and next, next week's look like. So.

Cash Kid: Yeah, so what advice would you give to other teens who are thinking about starting their own small business or side hustle, like babysitting or carpooling?

Kennedy Teal: Great question. [00:11:00] I would say start it. If you love babysitting, if you love doing your little niche, just, just go for it. It's all about confidence. Um, it's all kind of about people. Like, if you're good with people, if you can talk to a person like you're doing right now, like, you can start anything. Um, so yeah, I would say confidence, grace, patience is all very key.

Kennedy Teal: Um, but anyone can do anything, and babysitting is such an awesome gig. And I would encourage anyone to go ahead and just start. Plunge, get your name out there. There's amazing Facebook groups out there that you can join to like get into these Facebook clubs that help you, um, you can put your name out there and people can reach out to you or you can reach out to other people.

Kennedy Teal: Um, and then yeah, I think there's some awesome apps too, but my favorite thing is just referrals. So, like getting that one family will literally give you the rest of the referrals that will get you through the, the rest of your career. So yeah.

Cash Kid: Like whenever you're trying to start a business, just go for it. Because even if it [00:12:00] fails, you have mistakes that you know, that you won't make next time. And if it goes well, then you have skills that you know how to use and apply to your day-to-day life. Yes. Um, so Kennedy, is there anything that we haven’t asked you that you'd like to share?

Kennedy Teal: Oh goodness. I think you've done great I feel like you've hit all the points and I've been able to like show babysitting such a great light So yeah, thank you.

Cash Kid: Kennedy. We appreciate your time and your expertise Thank you for joining us on the Cash Kid Podcast and boosting the financial knowledge of fellow cash kids everywhere And remember anyone can be a cash kid. You just have to learn how to become one. Cash kid, out!