The Saudi labor market is changing very quickly given the recent labor laws and taxes. Many jobs that previously were fulfilled by expatriates are now available only for Saudi nationals, and employers are facing major challenges to fulfill them.

Among those jobs, babysitting and nursery are in high demand in Saudi Arabia and there are not many expatriates that can legally fulfill them.

This is a great opportunity for the Saudi woman to enter the job market, and leverage their skills to increase the home income.

However babysitting is not an easy job, especially if this is your first time. We have a few steps you should follow to be a successful and confident babysitter.

Learn the basics

As in any other job, it will be important that you learn the basic skills to take care of a child. It is important to get familiar with cleaning and bathing the children, preparing meals, playing etc. If you are a mother, you probably do not need them, as you have already experienced most of them. However, if you are a young lady, you should talk to your mum to get some tips or look for those websites that provide childcare tips. Taking some childcare training is also advisable.

In addition, it is also recommended to take a certification on first aid in order to handle comfortably emergencies and injuries.

Be Hired

At serviis.com we will take care of it. We will support you in building an online profile and send you job opportunities. However, this will not be enough. You need to do some work as well. We recommend to all professionals to:

1. Present their profile professionally with pictures, experience, and potentially reviews from previous clients.
2. Reply quickly to job requests and to the questions of your future employer.
3. Price your service at market rates.
4. Show that you are trustworthy and dependable. Be always punctual and do not cancel work at the last minute.
5. Understand clearly the key terms of the job: time required, number of children, medical conditions of the children, allergies, etc.
6. Agree on payment terms.
7. Dietary routine and habits, especially bedtime, types of meals, preferred toys.
8. Clearly, understanding the rules of the parents. For example, the use of iPads, watching TV, outdoor activities etc.

Taking care of the children

Once you are hired and all requirements and terms are confirmed, the babysitting job starts. Your main priority is to make sure you and the children are safe, so do not get distracted and watch them all the time, and do a tour of the house the understand the potential safety problems.

Following parents’ instructions is key, then play with the children in a creative and interactive way:

• Be patient and do not yell at them.
• Promise small prizes if the children do certain things.
• With a good weather and if authorized by the parents, try outdoor games.
• Do some creative activities such as painting crafting, etc.
• Tell them nice stories especially before bedtime.

You should be also willing to do some extra, such as help the children with their homework, if any, or to get better to some sports activities. This can be a major plus for the children and for the parents.

Tidy up after playing and wrap up with the parents

A great babysitter cleans up after each game and meals. This is a great bonus for the parents which will be willing to pay you more. Parents will also highly appreciate if you can report to them all activities are done during the day, the designs/craft work they did, what the children eat, the hours they slept etc. This is very important as you confirm to the parents that you followed their instructions.

So if you are ready to be a babysitter, register on serviis.com as a professional and you will receive job requests from your city.