Twelve-year-old Julia Knoll spends a few hours after school taking care of her younger brother. "It gets annoying sometimes, but I love him. He is my best friend," she says.
And Knoll isn't the only pre-teen watching younger siblings. Twelve-year-old Kathy Davis says, "It's kind of difficult because if you try and put my little sister to sleep, she fights it."
Many kids in our area have had practice babysitting family members. But they wanted to make sure they were prepared for the unexpected. So they visited the American Red Cross for some guidance.
About once a month 11 to 15-year-olds can take a Red Cross class, to learn how to be safe and responsible babysitters.
They learn everything from how to feed an infant, to how to handle household injuries, and even use the Heimlich maneuver.
The kids told me they'll have these skills handy when watching their siblings. But they're most excited to babysit other children.
"I love hanging out with little kids and you get paid for that which makes it even better!" Knoll says.
And the kids are eager to save those hard-earned dollars.
