1.) Reflect on your child care experience or get some!
"Do I have any child care experience?" That is the question you need to answer.
If you have not had an opportunity to engage in any form of substantial informal or formal child care work, then you need to do so, soonest possible!
The options are many. You may opt for an informal arrangement, where you may volunteer to look after your neighbours' or relations' children while the parents are away for a few hours. The idea is of course, to do it on a regular basis so that you may gradually get a feel for what it is like to be fully responsible for children. You would also learn how to respond to their needs (play, recreation, nutrition...)
Alternatively, if you prefer a more formal setting, you may volunteer to work in a day care centre (if they exist around you) a nursery school or kindergarten, a primary school or whatever context that would enable you interact with children. The idea is also for you to discover the age groups you'd be most comfortable with.
The point to remember here is that, there is no one single more valuable form of child care experience. You may live in a country or society where paid child care arrangements exist and come under the name "baby sitting". You may also (as was my case) come from a country or society where as an adolescent or young adult, looking after your younger brothers and sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces is a part of everyday life that comes with no monetary remuneration. Both kinds of experiences are equally valid and valuable, so do not hesitate to put your experiences forward!
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