Babysitting two times a week, Jaylee Jaspers, a sophomore at Mount Vernon High School, enjoys babysitting on weekdays after school.

Jasper’s previous experience includes stepping in to babysit her little cousins when their parents need help, when they’re out of town or busy. She has gained skills such as responsibility, patience, communication, time management, problem-solving, and flexibility.

Jaspers was contacted on Facebook by a family seeking a babysitter to watch their children while they attended their weekly church activities.

Babysitting four boys is a challenging responsibility, as the boys’ ages range from six months to six years old, which can be particularly difficult. Therefore, she decided to ask for help from her friend, Cora Martin, also a sophomore.

Jaspers babysits the boys for three and a half hours with the help of Martin. Jaspers said, “The time goes by quickly because I really enjoyed spending time with them playing games and going for a walk.”

Babysitting can be a fun job, but it can also come with a lot of responsibilities. “You have to be attentive and pay very close attention because you never know what could go wrong,” Jaspers said. From making sure the child is safe at all times and sometimes preparing meals and keeping them entertained, the role requires a lot of patience and quick thinking.

In the future, Jaspers hopes to work with children through studying pediatrics in the future. Pediatrics involves the practice of medicine and includes working with children. Through babysitting, she discovered that she enjoyed working with children, which sparked her interest in a career in pediatrics.