Babysitting class teaches 20 students

On Monday, April 1, 2019, 20 students spent the first day of spring break in the basement of the Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center becoming certificated babysitters. This brings the total to 123 students who have participated in a Babysitting Basics class. Beginning in 2010, the Odessa Healthcare Foundation, as part of their goal to provide health education to our community, began sponsoring this class for youth interested in improving their skills as babysitters.

Caitlyn Jackson, health educator from Inland Northwest Health Services Community Wellness, taught this year's class. The students created a bag to take with them when they go to babysit. They learned how to diaper, swaddle and feed a baby, and other very important things like why to NEVER shake a baby. They learned appropriate foods, activities, and discipline for toddlers and younger children. They also learned what to do if a baby is choking and first aid for cuts and burns. The students practiced infant and child CPR, beginning with assessing the situation and calling 911.

These students also learned how to keep themselves and the children they babysit for safe. They discussed how being a babysitter is fun, but is a real job in which parents are trusting them to take the job seriously. They are looking forward to using their new knowledge and skills as they help care for younger siblings and friends.