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U of I Extension and 4H Youth Development stage successful babysitting clinic in Elizabeth By Tony Carton EDITOR
TRACY SIEGNER PHOTO The Scoop Today
More than 40 young men and women participated in the Babysitting Clinic hosted by University of Illinois Extension and 4H Youth Development at the community center in Elizabeth.
fore moving on to the nine to eleven year olds.” She said they decided to break the day into sessions covering different ages to make it more meaningful for the participants because different ages have different behaviors and things that caregivers need to watch out for and be aware of. “After Ages and Stages we moved on to making healthy snacks,” said De Batista. “We broke the kids up into four groups and took four recipes that they could easily make with their charges. Each group made their recipe and then they all tasted the final products.” Keeping it “hands-on” and fun while covering important issues including safety and nutrition was the order of the day and the “baby-
sitters in training” were enthusiastic. “I kind of know about caring for the older kids, so I wanted to come and learn about younger kids,” said Warren High School Junior, Rebecca Raab. “This was a chance for me to learn how to deal with them being naughty or bad or something. It’s important to know how to handle those situations.” She said the clinic was a learning experience. “Considering that I’ve babysat before, I kind of already know some
of these skills, but today’s sessions are an opportunity to polish up on those skills as well as pick up some new ideas,” said Raab. Rebecca’s sister Kimberlyn also attended the clinic. She regularly cares for six or seven children ranging in age between three and thirteen years old. “There are always a lot of arguments and it’s kind of hard to keep them all occupied, but once I find something for them to do, they settle in and its nice,” she said. “There is one that is still in diapers and
that’s difficult, but otherwise it’s OK.” She said a trip to a neighborhood park or choosing an engaging board game is often the key to a successful day when babysitting. “I would rather engage the kids in a conversation than put them in front of a TV,” Kimberlyn said. “Multiple age groups like different things, but once they are talking among themselves things seem to smooth out. The skills I’m learning here at the clinic reinforce that and I will be applying these ideas.”
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University of Illinois Extension and 4H Youth Development hosted a babysitting clinic last week at the Elizabeth Community Building. The sessions were designed to help young entrepreneurs interested in babysitting learn to choose age-appropriate activities, create healthy snacks, and build the leadership and decision-making skills necessary when providing care for little people. “We have 40 young people here learning about caring for young children in the areas of food and nutrition, safety, business practices,” said 4H Youth Development Educator Jackie De Batista, during a break in the day’s clinic sessions. She said the curriculum for the clinic is based on graduated age stages, so the young entrepreneurs learn what to expect from different ages and life-stages of the youngsters that may require their care. “It’s been really fun and we’ve had a great turnout,” she said. “We’ve had a lot parents tell us their kids are looking for babysitting jobs, but could use training.” She said there is no similar program available in the area, so when the opportunity knocked, U of I Extension and 4H Youth Development answered the call. “We decided to give it a try and we thought we would have maybe 20 kids sign up, but we got double that,” said De Batista. “It’s wonderful.” Their day started with a session covering Ages and Stages. “We went through the children’s ages starting with 0-12 months and talked about caring for an infant,” she said. “Then, we went through toddlers talking about what toddlers are like, how to care for them, what to expect from their behavior. We then talked about five to eight year olds, preschoolers and young elementary school age children be-
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