An original Mindful Beginnings LLC course for future Mothers' Helpers
My First Babysitter's Club is a fun, hands-on introduction to child care for students in grades 4 and 5 who want to become Mothers' Helpers: young helpers who care for children while a parent is home nearby. Over 8 weeks (one hour per week), club members learn beginner babysitting skills, home safety habits, and the basics of running their very own helper business. Each week blends short lessons with games, doll practice, and lots of role play, so students build real confidence in a playful club atmosphere.
Program Details
Audience: Grades 4 and 5
Format: 8 weeks, 1 hour per week (an optional 10-week format is available — see the Facilitator's Guide)
Enrollment: Up to 16 participants
Instructors: Registered nurses and certified educators
Materials: Each club member receives a club handbook, practices with dolls and diapering supplies, and builds a take-home babysitting activity kit.
Week by Week Course Plan
Week 1: Welcome to the Club!
Icebreakers and club traditions. What is a Mother's Helper, and how is it different from babysitting alone? Why caring for a child is a big responsibility. Club members create their own helper name tags and take the club pledge. Activity: Safe or Unsafe scavenger hunt to start thinking like a safety helper.
Week 2: Safe at Home
Safe habits inside the house, outside the house, and online. What to do when someone knocks at the door or the phone rings. Strong passwords and protecting your privacy online. Role play: answering the door and phone safely while helping at someone's home.
Week 3: My Safety Team
Building a safety team: parents, back-up adults, and other trusted grown-ups. The High Five rules for leaving home: who, what, where, when, and how. Trusting your gut feeling when something seems wrong, and using a Safety Signal to ask a parent to come get you. Role play: practicing the Safety Signal and calling a back-up adult.
Week 4: Ages and Stages
Getting to know the four age groups: infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. What each age group needs, what they can do, and which ages need the most help. Games: Ages and Stages matching game and "Who Am I?" child development guessing game.
Week 5: BEST Care and Doll Practice
The four routines the BEST helpers know: Bedtime, Entertainment, Snacks/Meals, and Toileting. Hands-on practice: the 10 steps to a diaper change, practiced on dolls, plus proper handwashing (long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice!). Role play: helping with snack time and getting a little one ready for a nap.
Week 6: Keeping Kids Happy
The four rules every helper must follow: be in control of yourself, be in control of the children, never use physical punishment, and never hurt with words. Behavior management tips: provide comfort, distract, give choices, make a game, when...then, and take a break. Entertainment ideas for every age. Activity: club members begin building their own babysitting activity kits filled with age-appropriate games and crafts. Role play: calming a fussy toddler and settling a sibling squabble.
Week 7: Little Emergencies
Thinking like a bodyguard: spotting hazards and preventing injuries before they happen. Make Your Call: handle a little problem yourself, ask the parent or a back-up adult when you're not sure, or call 9-1-1 when life is in danger. Simple first aid for scrapes and small bumps. Role play: mock 9-1-1 calls and practice getting the parent from the next room the right way.
Week 8: My Helper Business and Graduation
The business of being a Mother's Helper: how to find families to help, how to talk with parents about what you can do, what to charge, and how to be a great employee. Role play: practice interviews with a "parent" (the instructor). Club members finish their activity kits, complete a fun review game, and celebrate at a graduation ceremony with certificates. Families receive a take-home page so they can support their new Mother's Helper.
About Mindful Beginnings LLC
Mindful Beginnings LLC is a certified Safe Sitter® Provider based in Bethesda, Maryland, serving schools, recreation departments, and community organizations throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area. Courses are taught by registered nurses and certified educators, and My First Babysitter's Club is an original Mindful Beginnings program created to give younger students a joyful first step into child care.
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