Adventures in Babysitting

Babysitting. Sometimes it’s the easiest way to make some extra money after you’ve used your allowance on the latest music, book, or outing with your friends. Other times, it’s a must. You HAVE to watch and take care of your little brother.  They can make it easy on you, or manage to run you around and do unpredictable things.  This could get dangerous.

Babies like to crawl on the floor and put things in their mouth.  Toddlers or smaller children that are walking, love opening cabinets to find all sorts of shiny, dangerous things.  If any of them get a hold of chemicals or pesticides, any exposure could be dangerous.   They’re curious and you need to know what is safe to have around them.

So before you use any chemicals around children, read the label. If you’re feeding them, make sure to wash their hands and yours beforehand.  Keep them safe and get more information at: http://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/

It’ll make you a better babysitter and knowledge makes you more valuable.

Yvonne Gonzalez is a SCEP intern with the Air and Radiation Division in Region 5. She is currently pursuing a dual graduate degree at DePaul University.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.