is recorded from 1800. The term may have originated from the caretaker "sitting on" the baby in one room while the parents were entertaining or busy in another. It's also theorized that the term may come from hens "sitting" on their eggs, thus "caring for" their chicks. International variations in definition In British English, the term refers only to caring for a child for a few hours, on an informal basis, and usually in the evening when the child is asleep for most of the time. In American English, the term can include caring for a child for all or most of the day and on a regular or more formal basis, which would be described as childminding in British English. In India and Pakistan, a babysitter or nanny, known as an ayah or aya, is hired on a longer-term contract basis to look after a child regardless of the presence of the parents. References Notes Bibliography Miriam Forman-Brunell. Babysitter: An American History. New York University Press, June, 2009.from English dictionary External links Babysitting courses provided by the American Red Cross YourChild: Babysitter Safety University of Michigan Health System A guide to the business of babysitting in the United States Quality Child Care From University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Factors in choosing quality child care. Babysitting Babysitter Caregiving