Babysitting: A Milestone of Early Adolescence

Abstract

Babysitting can be viewed as an experience that provides adolescents with opportunities to develop and practice adult role behavior. The responses to questionnaries administered to 974 subjects indicated that sitters benefited from the development of parenting skills, the experience of early independence from adult supervision, and the opportunity to be financially remunerated for their work.

Navigating babysitting as liminal, gendered, and undervalued work

“…Finally, young people's work is not often considered work within more affluent societies because, as highlighted by Hungerland et al (2007), it is not seen as providing a substantial portion of a family's income. Kourany et al (1986) argue, however, that babysitting is one of the earliest examples of "paid labor undertaken by teenagers in a concerted, agreement-like, contractual manner with the adult world" (p. 199).…”

“…Raby et al, 2018;Besen-Cassino, 2018;Hungerland et al, 2007;Windau & Meyer, 2005;Zierold et al, 2004), or is a part of a small body of older literature, some of which focuses on babysitting as preparation for parenthood (e.g. Kourany et al, 1980a, Kourany et al, 1980b, Kourany et al 1986. However, some research on young workers excludes babysitting as work (MacLennan et al 1985, Pond and Searle, 1991-as cited in Morrow, 2008.…”

“…Since the 1920s, popular media has documented various social anxieties around babysitting and babysitters (Forman-Brunell, 2009), such as worries about them ruining marriages or overusing employers’ belongings (Forman-Brunell, 2009). Research on babysitters generally groups them with other young workers, and reports on these experiences collectively (Besen-Cassino, 2018; Hungerland et al, 2007; Raby et al, 2018; Windau and Meyer, 2005; Zierold et al, 2004), or is a part of a small body of older literature, some of which focuses on babysitting as preparation for parenthood (Kourany et al, 1980a, 1980b; Kourany et al, 1986). However, some research on young workers excludes babysitting as work (MacLennan et al 1985, Pond and Searle, 1991 – as cited in Morrow, 2008).…”

Saving, Selling, Earning, and Negotiating: How Adolescents Acquire Monetary Lump Sums and Who Considers Saving

“…It has frequently been demonstrated that children and adolescents acquire money through paid employment or domestic work (Kim, LaTaillade, and Kim ; Kourany and LaBarbera ; Meeks ; Morrow ; West et al ). Kourany and LaBarbera () refer to baby sitting as a milestone through which adolescents gain a degree of financial independence in early adolescence. Morrow () refers to newspaper delivery as common at age 12 and 13, whereas 14‐ to 16‐year‐olds work in the service sector as waiters or helpers in kitchens.…”

“…In general, this research has focused on whether or not children save, reasons for saving and how or how much they save. Yet, to secure larger sums of money (besides saving), young people can use other strategies, such as negotiating with parents, grand‐parents, or other relatives (Palan and Wilkes ; Sonuga‐Barke and Webley ) or working (Kourany and LaBarbera ; Meeks ). In addition, opportunities for selling things to friends, on car boot sales, or on eBay may influence a young person's decision to short‐term save in order to form a lump sum that exceeds the regular monthly budget.…”