From babysitter to camp counselor, Woodard loves working with kids

Published 2:45 am Thursday, June 6, 2019

Callen Woodard loves working with kids, which is why she is spending her summer as a babysitter.

“I have always loved working with kids,” Woodard, a rising sophomore at the University of Alabama, said. “I started out as a camp counselor when I was 13 at a Christian camp in Enterprise. Doing that kind of got me into watching kids. I am still really into the whole camp counselor thing. I worked last summer as a camp counselor, but this summer I have just been on call if anyone needed a babysitter.”

Woodard relies on Facebook and word of mouth to find babysitting jobs.

“If I see a post on Facebook with moms asking for a babysitter I will always comment,” Woodard said. “I usually babysit whenever somebody needs me. I am still in Tuscaloosa, but I come down for breaks and things like that so I am honestly just on call all of the time.”

Being a positive influence on the children she babysits is what Woodard said is the best part of her job.

“I get to make a connection with all of these children,” Woodard said. “I know that when I was growing up, I had a great nanny named Audrey Wilson and she kept me from when I was three months old, up until I was 18 and leaving the house. I remember that she just loved my brother and I, and she instilled those positive values in us. I get that same opportunity when I babysit children.”

The most challenging part of babysitting is if the children aren’t potty trained, Woodard said.

Woodard advises students who want to earn extra money babysitting to start slow.

“Don’t try to get a family of five the first time that you are going to babysit,” Woodard said. “It can definitely get overwhelming at times, but just be understanding and remember that they are kids. They don’t always know the right things to do, so just use every opportunity you have as a learning opportunity.”

Woodard also is serving as a Girls’ State counselor at the University of Alabama this summer.

“This is the first year that I get to experience this as a counselor,” Woodard said. “It is a great experience and I am excited to be a positive influence on the girls that come to Girls’ State.”

Woodard is rising sophomore at the University of Alabama pursuing her degree in finance and economics with eyes on law school.