Canton freshman Courteney Bachus has been baby-sitting for seven years.

She said baby-sitting is an incredibly important job, and needs people willing to put in the extra effort.

“It’s important for them (the baby-sitter) to be responsible,” Bachus said. “They need to be know what to do in case of an emergency.”

Students interested in baby-sitting can learn about providing care for children with the Central Michigan Chapter of American Red Cross. It will offer a baby-sitter training program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Marie Fussman, Red Cross health and safety coordinator, said the training is a great opportunity for students to learn some vital skills for baby-sitting.

“The course will teach them how to make decisions, cover basic emergency training and first aid,” she said. “The class also will teach them how to perform CPR, but they will not be certified for it.”

Fussman said the program will cover techniques for each age group, from diaper-changing to snack-making to bedtime strategies.

Bachus said the hardest thing for her is putting the children to bed.

“It’s hard to put them to bed when they are so used to their parents doing it,” she said. “They want to know where their parents are, and you have to explain to them their parents won’t be back till tomorrow.”

Essexville freshman Katie Johnson said baby-sitting is a good experience for young people to have.

Johnson has worked with the Red Cross as a literacy tutor and is familiar with baby-sitting training, though she has never gone through the training herself.

“It’s important for baby-sitters to know basic care techniques for kids,” she said. “CPR is extremely important too. Anyone who works anywhere near kids should have to know that.”

The $20 training fee will cover program materials and lunch and must be into the Red Cross branch office by Thursday, though registration can be completed by phone by calling (989) 773-3615 ext. 1.

One of the most important skills for a baby-sitter to have is something that cannot really be taught, Johnson said.

“Probably the most important thing to remember is to be patient with the kids,” she said.

Bachus said she has baby-sat for children ranging from one to seven years old, but for her the most difficult ages to watch are two- and three-year-olds.

“They have so much energy and are so hyper,” she said. “They are constantly moving and constantly needing something to do.”

But not everything about baby-sitting is unpleasant.

Bachus’s favorite part is feeling like she has made an impact in lives of the children and the parents.

“I like teaching kids new things. It’s fun to see them happy and having a good time,” Bachus said. “It’s nice to give parents the chance to have a night out for themselves.”

The Red Cross training programs take place several times a year. The training schedules are available online at centralmichigan.redcross.org, but registration for the courses has to be done by phone or in person.

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