By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES - There should be no trouble finding a babysitter in the Niles area - not after Saturday's Baby Sitting With Confidence clinic put on by the Niles Service League.
The three hour program at Lakeland Hospital in Niles instructed 74 fifth and sixth graders in the practices of good, reliable child care.
Hoedema added the program has been held every spring for more than 20 years.
The clinic was divided into four areas of study - first aid, games and projects, fire and home safety and infant care.
Two Lakeland employees were on hand as instructors for the day. Raine taught first aid, including infant CPR and rescue breathing, and infant care was covered by Tami Goslee, who demonstrated how to change diapers and properly hold infants, among other topics. Both Raine and Goslee are staff educators at the Margaret Beckley Upton Center for Health Enhancement in St. Joseph.
For the remaining topics, Niles Service League got help from Linda Timm of Presbyterian Preschool of Niles and Don Hughes of the Niles Fire Dept.
Hughes showed a video and gave lessons on fire and home safety, such as keeping an eye on young kids using baby monitors.
Timm's 24 years of teaching preschool was evident by the craft projects that lined the wall of her temporary classroom in the basement of Lakeland Hospital. The marker board in the room was not full of notes, but rather was covered with projects like paper plate turkeys and bubble paintings.
Timm said for 10 years she has taught the ‘What to do?' course at the babysitting clinic, which gives the students ways to do fun projects with very few materials.
As examples, Timm suggested filling a babysitting bag with tools like paints, crayons, glue and books. Students were also encouraged to make up new games while babysitting, and, practice some of the all time favorites, such as building a fort out of couch cushions and chairs on a rainy day.
Above all, though, Timm said the students need to worry about safety and making sure the parents are comfortable with inviting them back.
Some of the students said they already had babysitting jobs lined up.
Erica Haimbaugh of Niles said the courses should be helpful when she's watching her little sister. She said she was especially interested in Timm's class.
Upon completing the clinic, students received a certificate and a book containing all the information that was taught during the day.
Anyone interested in taking the upcoming summer session in St. Joseph can have their parents contact Lakeland at (269) 556-2808 or 1-800-716-2808.