Babysitting is a good side job for students who can commit to two or three fixed afternoons a week, usually from förskola (municipal preschool) pick-up at three until six. It is declared pay with insurance, it fits around full-time studies, and it gives you experience that counts in many careers. What you need: experience with children, references, a criminal records extract, paediatric CPR, and that you actually turn up on the days you said you would.
A student at Södertörn University finishes her lecture at two on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At half past three she is standing in a förskola in Flemingsberg picking up a four-year-old. At six she heads home with three hours' pay and a drawing. That is what the job looks like for most of our students: not odd evenings through an app, but the same family, the same days, every week.
Why it suits students so well
The biggest demand for childcare falls between three and six on weekdays, when förskola closes and the parents are still at work. Those are exactly the hours most students have free. Afternoon shifts rarely clash with lectures, and they never clash with evening study. Unlike restaurant or shop work, it is not weekends and late nights either, but hours that let you have a life on the side.
| Side job | Typical hours | Fits with studies |
|---|---|---|
| Babysitting, afternoons | Weekdays 15:00 to 18:00 | Well, rarely clashes with your timetable |
| Babysitting, evenings | Occasional evenings 18:00 to 23:00 | Well, but less predictable |
| Restaurant | Evenings and weekends | Worse during exam periods |
| Retail | Weekends, evenings, varies | Varies, often rotas at short notice |
| Warehouse | Early morning or night | Hard to combine with morning lectures |
What is expected of you
- That you turn up. It sounds obvious, but everything depends on it. A parent at work at three o'clock who gets a text saying you cannot make it has no plan B. Ill is ill, but hungover is not ill and exam revision is not ill. Say no to shifts you cannot keep.
- That you are present, not on your phone. The child notices if you are scrolling. The parents notice it in the child.
- That you do things the family's way. Their routines, their rules on screens and sweets, their way of putting the children to bed. You have opinions, but it is not your child.
- That you report back. A note or a few sentences at handover: what the child ate, what the mood was like, whether anything happened. Read The note for the babysitter.
- That you give notice in good time. Exam period in a month? Say so now. Going home for Christmas? Say so in November.
What you need to get the job
The same requirements as for all our nannies. Experience with children that you can back up: summer camps, fritids (after-school care), swimming school, camp leader, babysitting for neighbours for several years, cover work at a förskola. Two or three references from people you have actually worked for. A criminal records extract for working with children, which you order yourself from Polisen (the Swedish police), free of charge. Paediatric CPR, with a certificate or check questions at the interview. And Swedish and English. The full picture of the job is in Working as a nanny.
Pay, CSN and other things worth knowing
Pay depends on experience, the number of hours and when the shifts fall. We do not print a figure here because it changes; read What does a nanny earn? Pay and conditions in 2026 for the current rates. The important thing is that it is declared. Pay, holiday pay, insurance during working hours and an income that shows up when you apply for a flat or need to show something to CSN (the Swedish student finance agency). If you work cash in hand for a family you found yourself, you have none of that, and no insurance if the child gets hurt while you are responsible.
CSN has a fribelopp: an income ceiling for how much you can earn per half-year before your student aid is reduced. The amount changes, so check the current figure on CSN's website before you do the sums. Two afternoons a week usually lands comfortably under the limit, but it depends on what else you earn.
The hard parts, honestly
- Afternoon shifts mean you cannot stay in the reading room until six on those days. That is a choice.
- Children are not always fun. A tired three-year-old at five o'clock is a tired three-year-old. You do not get to go home.
- Shifts can be cancelled at short notice when the child is ill or the parent is working from home. No pay that day.
- You are the only adult in the flat and you have to make decisions on your own. That is what turns the job into experience, but it is also what makes it tiring.
What it gives you, beyond the money
Someone who has trained as a teacher, preschool teacher, nurse, psychologist, social worker or doctor and can show two years of regular babysitting for the same family has something that stands out in a pile of applications. Not because it sounds nice, but because it shows you can take responsibility alone, keep to times and be patient with people who do not always want to cooperate. Several of our former students have had their references from the families they worked for. Those are references that carry weight.
How it works with our families
Sanna started with us in June 2024 while she was studying. She took a family in Sollentuna with a three-year-old boy, Mondays and Wednesdays from pick-up at half past three until six. Before her first exam period she said a month in advance that she wanted to go down to one day for two weeks, and the family covered the other day with grandma. After the summer they asked whether she could do three days. She said no to the third, because she knew she would not be able to keep it up through the spring. That is exactly the answer we want to hear. A nanny who says no to a shift she cannot keep is worth more than one who says yes to everything and cancels half of it.
Would you like to work as a nanny with us? We are always looking for people who want the same families week after week. Read more and apply.
Read more: Working as a nanny · What does a nanny earn? Pay and conditions in 2026 · Paediatric CPR · Work with us
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a week can I work as a student?
The most common arrangement with us is two or three afternoons a week, so six to ten hours. That fits with full-time studies if your timetable is stable. We advise against taking more shifts than you can keep during exam periods, because a family that gets three cancellations in a row loses trust.
Does the income affect my CSN?
CSN has a fribelopp, an income ceiling for how much you can earn per half-year without your student aid being reduced. The limit changes, so check the current amount on CSN's website before you do the sums. With two afternoons a week most people stay under the limit, but it depends on what else you earn.
What is the pay?
Pay depends on experience, the number of hours and when the shifts fall. We have gathered the current figures in our guide to nanny pay. What matters for you as a student is that it is declared: pay, holiday pay and insurance, and an income you can show when you apply for a flat or a loan.
Do I have to work weekends?
No. Most shifts are weekday afternoons, from förskola pick-up until the parents come home. Evenings and weekends exist for those who want them, but you choose which hours you can do. What we ask is that you keep the hours you have said yes to.
Can I take a break over the summer?
Yes, if you say so in good time. Many families are on holiday themselves in July. Tell us at the interview what your summer looks like and we will match you with a family that fits. What does not work is disappearing in June without warning and getting in touch again in September.