Furniture, apartments, textbooks, clothing and even pets are among the most common items on E-net’s Want Ad page. But below the television stands, riding lawn mowers and used textbooks, it’s not unusual for students to advertise their services as babysitters and pet sitters.
Babysitting may seem like the easiest option for college students who need money, but according to junior Michelle Lewandowski, it can be difficult to balance the strains of college life with such a taxing job.
“I have to drive to the job, which is not as convenient as an on-campus job,” Lewandowski said. “I also can’t work on homework if I have a test or paper due the following day.”
Lewandowski babysits two or three times a week for approximately five hours each time. Although the job is sometime stressful, she said it has its rewards.
“I like working with children, and this is a fun way to do it,” she said. “It is nice to know that I am making a difference with that family. I know the family I work with now trusts me and is happy to have me spend time with their kids.”
Lewandowski is a Human Service Studies major. She started babysitting when she was 14 for families in her hometown neighborhood, church and school. She has also held two full-time nanny positions. Because she loves spending time with kids, babysitting is an ideal way for her to make money in college.
“Babysitting is a fun, flexible job that allows me to spend time with kids,” she said.
Elon’s Handmade Co-Op organization has also provided an opportunity for student babysitters. Its babysitting events allow busy parents to drop off their children for a few hours while sitters at the Handmade Co-Op entertain them.
Junior Elissa Krapf, who ultimately wants to become an elementary school teacher, volunteers with Parents’ Night Out, a student-led organization that provides free babysitting, as often as she can.
“I try to find any opportunity to work with children,” Krapf said.
At the Valentine’s Day Parents’ Night Out on Feb. 14, she helped the children with arts and crafts projects related to the holiday.
“It was great to have families from Elon and the community there, and we all had a great time just being silly with each other,” she said.
Krapf said she believes Parents’ Night Out is a useful event for Elon parents. She said the kids always have a great time, and she would love to get more people involved as sitters.
Krapf said getting paid is an advantage to non-volunteer babysitting jobs, but she feels working with volunteer programs like Parent's Night Out gives her valuable experience to help achieve her goals.