Launch League

Full guide · Ohio

How to start babysitting as a teenager

Babysitting pays better than almost anything else on this list and asks more of you than any of it. You are responsible for someone's child. Parents know that, which is why they hire on trust rather than price — and why the course, the references and the questions you ask are the whole business.

Under $50From age 13First dollar: Two weeks, after the course.

What it costs

What you actually need

A babysitting course
$60–$100

The American Red Cross Babysitting course is the one most parents recognize. Take it before you advertise, and say you have it when you ask.

First aid and CPR
$90–$150

Not required for most jobs, and the thing that will get you chosen over someone who does not have it.

A bag of things to do
$20

Cards, a craft, a book. The difference between a sitter who watches a screen and one who gets booked again.

A phone that stays charged
$0

With the parents' numbers, the emergency contact and the address saved before they leave.

Borrow before you buy

Do your first three jobs with equipment you already have access to. Buy your own out of money a customer has already handed you, never out of money you are hoping to make.

What to charge

Pricing, honestly

Start at the lower end of each range. Raise it once five people have paid you without hesitating.

One child, per hour
$15–$20

Look up what sitters in your town charge. Rates are higher in cities than in small towns.

Each extra child
+$3–$5

Two under five is genuinely twice the work. Price it or do not take it.

After midnight
+$3–$5 an hour

Agree it before the night starts, not when they come home.

A regular weekly slot
Your normal rate

Do not discount this one. A booked evening every week is already the reward.

These are what people commonly charge, not what you will make, and they were first written for a Canadian market. Look up what adults near you charge for the same job, then start a little under it and raise your price once you have five happy customers.

Your first five

Exactly who to ask, in order

Warmest first. Your first attempt should be with someone who will be kind about it, because you will be bad at it.

  1. Person 1

    A family you already babysit for informally — cousins, family friends — who have never paid you. Ask to make it a real arrangement.

  2. Person 2

    Your own parents' friends with small children. Ask your parents to mention you rather than asking cold.

  3. Person 3

    A neighbor whose kids you already know by name.

  4. Person 4

    Your first family's friends. Parents talk to other parents constantly, and a good sitter is the thing they share.

  5. Person 5

    A parent group your own parent is in — posted by them, with your course and references named.

Send this

“Hi Ms. Okonkwo — I'm Maya from number 9. I've just finished my Red Cross babysitting course and I'm available Friday and Saturday evenings. I charge $17 an hour. Would you like to meet first, maybe while I sit for an hour one afternoon so Theo gets used to me?”

Change the names and the price. Keep the shape: who you are, how they know you, what you do, the price, and an easy way to say yes.

Not optional

Staying safe

  • Meet the family and the children with your parent present, before the first paid evening.
  • Get the address, both parents' numbers, an emergency contact and any allergies written down before they leave.
  • Tell your own parent where you are, who you are with and when you expect to be home, every single time.
  • Never take a job with someone you have not met, however good the money sounds.
  • If you feel uncomfortable at any point, call your parent. No job is worth staying somewhere that feels wrong.
  • Know where the exits, the smoke alarms and the first aid kit are within five minutes of arriving.

Tell a parent or guardian where you are working and when you expect to be finished, every time.

The actual business

Getting them to book you again

  • Leave the place tidier than you found it. Parents notice this more than anything else.
  • Send one short message when they are out: “All fine, asleep at 8.” It buys them their evening.
  • Tell them one nice thing their child did. It is true, and it is why they book you again.
  • Be honest about anything that went wrong. Hiding a small thing costs you the family.
  • Book the next date before you leave the door.

Two things to know in Ohio

If someone hires you. Ohio generally requires a minor work permit (an age and schooling certificate) for ages 14 through 17 during the school year, and in summer break only for ages 14 and 15. It is not required in some common teen jobs, including snow shoveling, newspaper delivery and family farm work. See the Department of Commerce and the Legislative Service Commission.

If you work for yourself, that is a different situation, and the sources I read do not spell out how the permit rules treat a teenager running their own small business. If you are unsure, ask the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage and Hour.

Taxes. Money you earn counts. Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more usually mean self-employment tax, and in Ohio lawn care, landscaping and snow removal become taxable services once your sales reach $5,000 a year. The Ohio starting guide explains both.

Checked October 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change.

More ideas are on the full list. Ready to make it a real business? Read how to start a business in Ohio.

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