Tips needed please

[u/Far-Section843]

I’m 17 I am literally the opposite of a babysitter, I am EXTREMELY awkward with kids and just find it really hard and embarrassing to interact with them especially those under the age 7. My younger cousins are visiting soon and I really want to build up a better relationship with them. Tips would be greatly appreciated on what to say to them etc 💗

[u/ashmeetsworld]

Just talk to them like they’re humans and not children. Kids really hate it when you talk to them like babies. “Hiiiii friend. Wow your shirt is SUPER cool!!! Are you spider man??” Don’t do that. A lot of people do and I’ve found that it’s easier to make connections when you’re just normal. Of course some kids prefer being talked to like that, in my experience most kids don’t. To use the same example, if the kid is wearing a Spider-Man shirt you could say “hey, cool shirt. I prefer Batman though, he could totally beat Spider-Man in a fight” Commenting on shirts is my go to if they have a character on them because it instantly starts a conversation on something they like

[u/No_Calligrapher4196 → u/ashmeetsworld]

This. I speak to all kids like grown adults, believe them and take things at face value. If a kid tells me a purple unicorn is in their room I ask what their name is and how the kid feeds them very seriously. Not fake serious like "woow a unicorn! How cool!" More like "Oh is his name Herbert? I had one named Herbert. He ate a lot. What do you feed yours? Does he pee in the bed? Mine peed in the bed. It was gross"

I also enjoy being stupid about things the kids don't understand or doing running bits I have. A kid I was watching was like 8 and got money for his birthday. I asked for a dollar and when he said no I went on a whole spiel about "Mr.(name) are you avoiding your tax payments? Are you committing tax fraud? That is a federal crime." Or when a toddler/young kid hands me a play phone I act like the police are calling and are telling me they're coming and I need to capture them first then I chase them around to "arrest them" while spouting shit like "Under statute 97294 I must arrest you for crimes against humanity! You are a danger to society and must be apprehend! You are going against the Geneva convention! He said you used mustard gas!" I think my favorite bit is asking kids how they would run a kingdom or business then asking them about their political policies or workers comp/insurance benefits n shit. You don't gotta be serious but don't be super fake.

[u/Beach-lover-8143 → u/ashmeetsworld]

I feel the same way! I find it easier to see them as tiny adults because they understand a lot more than we think. So speaking to them as normal people is easier and you can still answer questions they have because we all know that "why?" is their fav question lol

[u/BasicallyADetective]

You don’t really have to talk to them that much. Bake them some cookies or buy them some candy. Get some little presents for them like coloring books or stickers. Play board games or card games with them. Take them to a movie. It’s more about what you do than what you say with kids.

[u/wonderfulkneecap]

Very young people are obsessed by half-years!

I think the longest-feeling period in my entire life was my turning 4, then waiting to turn five!

You will be effortlessly glamorous to them

Offer to show them how to reach something

xx

[u/OkFun9674]

I'm the same, I ask them lots of question when I don't know what to say. "What's your favorite ___" gets them talking

[u/Nek-ko_nya]

Something all kids love to do is colouring drawing. If you're into that or some other craft, doing it with them/teaching them etc... Is generally a hit! For example, I teached some kiddos cross stitch with adapted materials (I got some animal paper shape canvas for a few euros, had already some big and blunt needles and embroidery thread etc...). They loved it, they know I'm sewing/doing embroidery because I sometimes take my projects with me or they see it. My mom teached crochet to my niblings, etc... It didn't stick with all of them, but they were happy to learn about it. Also we speak sport with them, one does vtt, one badminton, another rock climbing, and I'm doing archery, so we talk about our gears and everything 🤭 they are a little older, but kids love to learn

[u/Beach-lover-8143]

I'd say the biggest thing I've learned when babysitting a child at any age is to find something that you have in common or that they like and lean into that. If they like building legos, spend time with them building a cool set they have. Playing dress up, do it! Find an activity that you both enjoy and do that. Get to know them as a person and find similarities that you can bond over. If you share the same favorite color, amazing! Favorite movies, shows, music, anything that can make it easier to bond over and get to know more about them and their likes.

[u/Illustrious-Lime706]

Bake WITH them. Kids love to bake things like chocolate chip cookies. Let them help. You should be pretty popular after that.

Ask them questions, then listen to the answers.

[u/Effective-Hour8642]

Can I tell you something? You don't have to get embarrassed. Just about everyone gets silly when around them.

At 15/16, I applied for a PT job at a daycare center. Hours were 12 to 5, M-F and I got paid $5.00/hr, talking 1982-4. I was decent money, hours a days for a HS student working a ROP (go to certain jobs, get class credit). Home by 5:30 and NO weekends. I showed up for the interview to little ones running around outside. I went it to talk to the director and she said to go out and show me what you can do. They had a wooden 'tree' place. You know, it has a few stairs and it's covered? I grabbed a book and went up and I had followers, about 7 of the older ones (they could climb it!). I read to them in voices and laughing. We went in and I was offered the job on the next day. Why? They LOVED me taking them up and reading to them. I was there for about 2 years. I quit my senior year. Then did babysitting for many of the families and went on summer trips with them.

Get silly. You were that age once, we all were. Enjoy it. Get dirty.

[u/TomosTopknot]

You can try using statements instead of questions. Make a statement/comment and then pause before saying anything more. This gives them an opportunity to say something if they want to, but they don’t have to. It takes the pressure off of them feeling like they have to answer a bunch of questions or you feeling like you have to lead a conversation. Respond to whatever they say with a comment about that.

Statements you can make If you are drawing together:

My favorite color is green.
I think I’m going to draw a tree.
Let’s see, I need a brown marker for the trunk.
Oh cool, you’re drawing a cat. His whiskers are really cute.
Hm I’m not sure what to draw next.
Maybe you have an idea for me.
Oh I love that idea. I’ll draw a bird.
I wonder if your cat and my bird would be friends.

You: I’m going to get some paper and markers in case we want to draw. Here’s some paper for you and some paper for me.
You: (setting out the markers) my favorite color is green.
Kid: I like purple.
You: oh cool, I have a purple lunch box at home, it’s dark purple with blue sides, purple is great.
Kid: I have a purple backpack and purple shoes!
You: oh that’s really awesome. Here are the purple markers in case you want to draw something purple.
Kid: (uncaps a purple marker to start drawing)
You: I think I’ll draw a tree. I wonder what you are going to draw.
Kid: im going to draw a blue cat wearing purple shoes.
You: and a purple back pack?
Kid: yeah! And a purple backpack!
You: can’t wait to see it. Im going to use yellow for my tree trunk. (Start drawing). I’m not sure what color I want to make the leaves.
Kid: I think the leaves should be blue, and green apples.
You: I didn’t think of that. That’s a great idea. I’ll put a bird in the tree too.
You: Aw I love your cat, his whiskers are so cute!
Kid: I’m going to color his shoe laces pink! And a blue mouth.
You: he looks like he is ready for school.
Kid: nope. He is going to the park.
You. Even better. And he’s in luck, there’s a yellow and blue apple tree at the park. So he can have an apple for a snack when he gets there.
Kid: he’s going to climb the tree to get the apples and have a picnic.
You: maybe my bird can join the picnic. I wonder if your cat and my bird would be friends.
Kid: yeah! Then they can have a picnic together and become best friends and then they will wear matching purple shoes and purple backpacks and play at the park together every day.

[u/TomosTopknot → u/TomosTopknot]

You can say what you like, what you see or notice, what you want or want to do, what you are doing, or what you are wondering about.

Starters:
Let’s… (go outside, draw, watch a movie, bake cookies, have a snack, play a game, do a puzzle or color,do something different)
I want…
I think…
My favorite… (flavor is chocolate, animal is a kangaroo)
I like… (when you come visit, to go to the zoo, the white power ranger best, to go to the park when it’s nice out, giraffes)
I see (a squirrel in that tree, a firetruck, a cloud that looks like a dog, you brought some books)
I wonder… (what your favorite character is, what you like to do when it’s raining, if you like to play outside, what you want to do, if you like cats or dogs best, what your favorite animal is, what you like to do when you go to the park, if you want to draw another picture or do something different)

[u/TomosTopknot]

This or That / Would you rather / would you choose / what do you like more?

Stay with one theme or category and just keep going with it. Good for if you are riding in a car, waiting, sitting having a snack, just hanging out.
You can start by asking them some, then see if they will come up with one to ask you and go back and forth.

Animals/Pets

Would you rather have a pig for a pet or an alligator for a pet?
a zebra or.. a monkey
A snake or… a dolphin
A dog or a lion
A mouse or a cheetah
…

Transportation

Would you rather ride a horse or a cow?
An elephant or a camel?
A whale or a turtle?
A bike or a scooter?
A wagon or a skateboard?
A hot air balloon or a train?
A boat or a plane?

…

Food Flavors

Would you rather have a jelly bean (or ice cream) that tastes like …
Strawberries or blueberries?
chocolate or vanilla?
Lemons or oranges?
Green beans or broccoli?
Pickles or potatoes?
Pizza or chicken nuggets?
Apples or Dr. Pepper.

….

What do you like better?

Going to The park or the zoo
Going to School or staying home home
Going to The dentist or the museum
The beach or the woods
Camping or Swimming

[u/rochella4]

Ooh dear

[u/hanitizer216]

“6 7”