“please get me a red cross certified sitter.”

There are certain words I like with my babysitter: Non-smoker. No prior felonies. And Red Cross Certified. If you have an aspiring sitter (11 and older) in your house, they can get certified too, with Red Cross Babysitter’s Training.

They’ll learn how to respond to emergencies and illnesses with first aid, rescue breathing and other appropriate care, make decisions under pressure, communicate with parents (aka: the client), recognize safety and hygiene issues, feed, diaper and care for infants and start their babysitting business (ca-ching!).

It’s a 7-hour class and it will cost you 85 clams (through Red Cross), but I’m sure your little money-maker will want to pay you back once they start raking in the cash. There are a few cheaper options too: St. Paul parks (scroll down to page 3) have a few classes left in August ($60). There’s one at Waite Park through Community Ed ($43). And I’m sure there are many more (Google is your friend!).

So sign them up. It’s like taking candy from a baby. (But everyone knows you shouldn’t give candy to a baby. Choking hazard. Right Red Cross?)