Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Hurley — The University of Wisconsin Iron County Extension office and the Michigan State Extension office in Bessemer are partnering to offer area teens babysitter training classes beginning in January.
The training is based on the curriculum of “operation military kids,” a 4-H program serving military youth with deployed parents, according to Neil Klemme, a youth development agent with the Iron County office.
Klemme said the training is a relatively comprehensive program, covering everything from CPR certification and a lesson from the Hurley Police Department on safety when home alone to providing babysitters with feedback forms as well as “ages and stages” education to teach age-appropriate activities.
“I looked at it from the perspective of someone who hires babysitters right now and pays babysitters, ‘what would I want my babysitter to know,’” Klemme said.
He said the babysitters will have the option of whether they want to use everything they learn but that he wanted to give them a broad range of information.
“We’re hoping the kids will go home with a tool box, duffel bag, or backpack full of activities or things that they can take (when babysitting). ‘You’re going to babysit, this is your bag, you take this with you,’” Klemme said. “It’s got a first aid kit in it, some games, some coloring books, some activity ideas and equipment they need to do the activities. So they have a babysitting toolkit to go into the homes with and be prepared to babysit.”
He also plans on including information on the business of babysitting — such as the importance of agreeing on payment at the beginning — as well as hand-washing, basic food prep and how to make nutritional snacks.
The class will feature eight lessons taught over four classes. Klemme said given the short nature of the class, it was important participants attended every session.
The class is something Klemme has wanted to do for several years and fills a clear need in the community.
“There should be something more local,” Klemme said, referencing a past class taught in Ashland. “This is another need we thought the 4-H program could fill, because 4-H is about youth development and babysitting is a major need and I think babysitting and preparing babysitters is a youth development issue.”
Classes are open to area residents ages 12 and up.
Klemme is capping the class at 20 children.
Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in January and lunch will be provided.
Kids get certificate for completing the course they can show to parents and Klemme also discussed the possibility of keeping a list of those who completed course to refer parents to.
He also suggested that parents who already have a regular babysitter consider working to ensure their regular sitter participates in the class.
“I would also recommend if you have a babysitter that hasn’t taken the course and you think you’d like that, sponsor your babysitter. Pay the $20 to send your babysitter to the training to better prepare them. It’s always nice to know your babysitter has CPR and can do the Heimlich maneuver and all that stuff, in case some kid chokes while they are watching them. I would like to know that my babysitter can do that,” Klemme said.
Klemme plans on offering a second class at the end of the school year in June.
Contact either extension office for more information or to register for the program. Iron County’s office can be contacted at 715-561-2695, while Bessemer’s can be reached at 906-663-4045.
