One of the things readers loved about “The Baby-Sitters Club” was its depictions of babysitting. Babysitting has been a core piece of American girlhood for a century, and an important right of passage. But the job has evolved, and continues to change for new generations of parents and kids. This episode, we travel to a local babysitting class to explore the changing nature of American childhood, tweenhood, and babysitting. And we learn how these early work experiences shape the workplace.
GUESTS:
- Yasemin Besen-Cassino is the author of “The Cost of Being a Girl: Working Teens and the Origins of the Gender Wage Gap”
- Danielle Otterspoor teaches babysitting classes through her business Better Babysitting Certification
"Generation: The Media We Love & How It Shapes Us" is a podcast series from Connecticut Public. Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it helps us become who we are.
"Generation: Baby-Sitters Club" is hosted by Daniela Doncel. This series was reported, written, and produced by Lily Tyson and Daniela Doncel. It was edited and produced by Cassandra Basler. Sound design and mixing by Jay Cowit. Megan Fitzgerald is our project manager. Ayannah Brown and Mark Mirko are our visuals producers. Sam Hockaday created our show art. Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.
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