How to Babysit an Infant

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Updated: August 29, 2019



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    Make sure the baby is comfortable at all times.
    • If the baby starts crying, check his or her diaper. If there is poop, or if the diaper is wet, the diaper needs to be changed. Get a fresh diaper before undoing the old one. To Change a diaper, get out baby wipes, a fresh diaper, and something to keep the baby occupied while you change it. Wash your hands to avoid spreading germs, dirt, and bacteria, to the baby's fragile bottom. First, undo the diaper. Second, if the baby is male, place a clean diaper over his private area. If the baby is female, make sure to wipe front to back so you don't spread bacteria. Third, wipe the baby with as many wipes as you need, making sure to get into all the creases. Last, lift the baby's feet, remove the soiled diaper, and slide on a clean one. Latch the diaper, pattern side on front. Wash your hands again, to wash off any pee or poop and to kill germs and bacteria so that they don't spread to other places in the house. Make sure that the baby's hands and feet are clean and free of any pee or poop after the diaper change.
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    • Try singing songs. Try "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "An Itsy Bitsy Spider." Look into the infant's eyes as you sing.
    • Hold a baby toy a few inches away from there face. Try moving the toy back and forth. Younger infants will watch the toy with their eyes, older infants will actually reach and grab the toy.
    • Dance! Cradle the baby in your arms and gently move from side to side and sway to the music. Any music will do as long as it is not loud or inappropriate. Avoid this right after eating, wait about a half an hour after eating before trying this activity.
    • Action rhymes and games are fun. Try "Hickory Dickory Dock." Move your fingers up the baby's body while you say the rhyme.
    • Pinwheels are nice. Hold the pinwheel 6 inches away from baby's face. Blow on it and watch the pretty colors!
    • If the infant has an activity quilt that they can lay on, an activity gym, a baby bouncer, or a baby swing, lay them or sit them in one of these. Try pointing out the toys and activities, and encouraging interaction. Gently bounce or swing a baby if they are in a swing or bouncer, this calms them and helps them learn the difference between cause and effect, trust, and body awareness.
    • Take a walk. Avoid a walk if it is over 85 degrees out, or if it is below 30 degrees. Also avoid a walk if it is around the time when mosquitos are high. Place the infant in a stroller and strap them in for safety. Slowly walk and push the stroller. Point out items in nature such as: "Look! There's a duck!" Let baby feel items outside such as the cold snow or tickle grass on their tummy or feet.
    • Read books. Books for infants should be cloth or board books to avoid infants from chewing up the pages or tearing them out. Many, bright, pictures with little script are best. When the infant, starts to loose interest, stop reading, even if you are in the middle of the book, and move on to something else.
    • Try mirrors! Use unbreakable mirrors made for children. Hold the mirror in front of baby and let them see themselves for a while. Then, sit them on your lap and hold the mirror in front of both of you. Make faces such as silly, a frown, a smile, and twitching your nose.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What should I do if the baby falls?
    Community Answer
    Pick the baby up and look for injuries. If the baby is injured, call the doctor immediately.
  • Question
    How can I calm the baby when it starts to cry?
    Community Answer
    Babies usually cry because they need something. Start by checking the diaper, giving him or her some food, or playing with him or her. For more tips and advice, read How to Calm a Fussy Baby.
  • Question
    What should I do if the baby becomes fussy when going to bed?
    Community Answer
    This is normal and mostly a development thing. You might want to check and see if the baby needs a diaper change or some food. It's also possible that the baby is not comfortable.
  • Question
    How do I rock twins to sleep?
    Community Answer
    In both arms or one at a time. If that does not work, ask their parent what they usually do.
  • Question
    What happens if the infant keeps crying no matter what I do?
    Community Answer
    It would be time to check its temperature and make sure that the baby is not hurt.
  • Question
    Can I get a job as an 11 year old?
    Community Answer
    That depends on the age of the child, the people you are baby-sitting for and your maturity level. I would suggest starting out by helping when the mother has stuff to do. As she trusts you, you will be able to do more and eventually babysit on your own.
  • Question
    What should do if the baby starts vomiting uncontrollably?
    Community Answer
    Call the parents and try to calm the infant down as much as possible until the parents come home. If it's that bad, call 911.
  • Question
    How do I get a babysitting job as a pre-teen?
    Community Answer
    Offer to start babysitting as a mother's helper first. You can entertain the infant while the mother does housework, crafts, etc. That will help you build the mother's trust to one day babysit for her child and in the meantime, she will be available to answer any questions you might have.
  • Question
    How could I interact with the baby during play time?
    Community Answer
    Try to keep it simple. Babies usually like to play games like peek-a-boo and pat-e-cake. If the baby has some toys (ie: the board where you must put the correct shape into the correct hole), you could always use them to play with the baby instead.
  • Question
    How can I calm a baby down if they miss the parents?
    Community Answer
    It's best to just try to distract the baby with things she likes, like a favorite toy, or try walking around while holding her and singing or humming. She'll calm down eventually.
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      • Make sure you let them sleep enough so they won't be grumpy.
      • When trying to calm down a baby, try distracting her with other objects.
      • If you know the infants parents well try to watch how they calm the child down or handle the baby.
      • Keep the TV or music low volume, this may wake the baby shortly.
      • Reading a picture book to the child is a great way to keep them entertained while also exposing them to diverse ideas, such as different cultures.
      • Don't underestimate the probability that a baby boy will urinate when you change his diaper. Hold the old diaper up as a shield for a minute before moving it away and quickly putting the new one on.
      • To calm a fussy baby to help him or her sleep, try putting some pink noise or nature sounds in the background.
      • Feed the baby ONLY what formula/food the parents have cleared. You wouldn't want to make the baby extra hyper.


      • Remember, do not leave a baby in a room alone. You never know, he or she might just become injured. The baby is a real person whose parents care more about him or her than anything else in the world. It is tragic when a baby gets hurt because the babysitter was careless.
      • When you put the baby in the crib to sleep, put him or her on his or her back, not stomach. This is especially important if the baby is congested. If the baby is congested and has a tendency to roll over onto his or her stomach, put the baby into an infant seat or carriage that does not allow a baby to roll over.

      About This Article

      68 votes - 89%
      Co-authors: 58
      Updated: August 29, 2019
      Views: 190,964
      Categories: Babysitting Infants
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 190,964 times.

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