On Friday night, Bradley William Hirsch was among 247 Austin High School seniors to receive diplomas.

Tuesday, June 12, 2001

On Friday night, Bradley William Hirsch was among 247 Austin High School seniors to receive diplomas.

On Saturday morning, he was just another teen-ager teaching a baby-sitting course for the Mower County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Hirsch, 17, obviously has his priorities set straight in life. Graduating high school is, indeed, a major accomplishment, but life goes on when the applause dies.

The 12- and 13-year-olds were eager for the training. All expect to earn the bulk of their spending money this summer from baby sitting for pay.

By completing the Red Cross training course, they will be certified and families can call the Mower County chapter offices for baby sitter referrals.

"I want to make sure I know everything I need to know when I baby sit," said Niki Jacobson, "because parents expect you to know everything when they’re gone."

"We even have to know how to change diapers," Garrett Qualey said.

Hirsch said the students "are a great bunch of kids" and "they learn fast and really want to learn how to be the best baby sitter."

His students are Niki Jacobsen, 12, Samantha Kline, 13, Kristin Minnick, 13, Audrey Harber, and the lone boy, Garrett Qualey, 12.

The three-week course concludes June 16.

The first week’s lesson covered an introduction to baby sitting, leadership skills and safety.

Last Saturday’s session examined safe play and basic care. The students diapered dolls, learned the intricacies of bottles with nipples and bibs and towels as well as plastic pants and safety pins. They also learned about disposing of paper or cloth diapers.

This Saturday, they will conclude their instruction with sessions on first aid and the "business of baby sitting."

Throughout the three weeks, they have used both child and infant manikins for hands-on training, there have been videos and always Hirsch’s own experience.

Hirsch, 17, is the son of Paul and Linda Hirsch of Austin. He accepted his diploma last Friday night in commencement exercises held at Riverside Arena and has been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, where he will begin studying computer science this fall.

His senior year in high school was a busy and eventful year. He took Red Cross CPR and other instructor courses and when asked by assistant director Mary Goetz to teach a baby-sitting class, he accepted.

The teen-ager has a younger sister, Theresa, a junior this fall at AHS, and brother, Michael, 10 and a fourth-grader this fall.

His parents, like so many others, were busy, when the their three children were younger. Twice a week, they were gone evenings on Amway trips.

"The baby sitters either were family members we knew or came from the neighborhood around where we lived and I remember having more good experiences than bad as a kid with baby sitters," Hirsch said.

One of his favorite baby sitters was a teen-ager who always played games with the Hirsch children and never turned on the television or made them do homework.

When Hirsch grew old enough to be a baby sitter for pay himself, he patterned his work after the baby sitter that meant so much to his family.

Hirsch believes today’s parents welcome "professionalism" from baby sitters of their children.

"Things like the question-and-answer sheet I gave the kids to discuss with the parents before they take a job shows their professionalism" he said. "They key is doing the best job possible so you will be asked to come back again.

"I think it’s very important that kids take the Red Cross training and become certified, because the parents will appreciate not having to worry about their children, when they’re gone," he said.

The end of his senior year in high school has been a whirlwind of activities for Hirsch.

Commencement and post-commencement party, teaching baby-sitting skills Saturday morning and being the guest of honor at his own graduation open house party Saturday afternoon and now something else.

On June 23, the high school graduate leaves for Peru, where he will spend the summer working in an orphanage.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.