A few years ago I found the idea of babysitting fascinating and used to wish that is was a common part-time job here, like it is in the West.  But I ate my words when I was one day asked to keep an eye on my three-year-old cousin. Also, I didn't get paid for it. In case you're ever asked to watch a younger sibling/cousin for a while and since I have more of those little cousins than I can count, I shall give you some tips.

First things first: be prepared for emergencies. Make sure you have contact numbers of the parents. If something goes wrong, don't panic, call them and act accordingly. In case of a fire, call the fire brigade immediately, the emergency hotline for our fire service is 199. Ask about the child's allergies beforehand and remember don't give them any medicine unless the parents have instructed you to do so.

Children need to be fed. If you're lucky there will be food already prepared. But if not – don't try to cook something if you can't cook or if it means you're leaving the child unattended. Look for snacks such as cookies, chips or just make a sandwich. If your cooking skills are like mine (can cook stuff if they come in frozen packets) then fry up some chicken nuggets but make sure the kid doesn't go near the stove! Also don't let the kid use forks, because sharp objects.

Settle down for a movie that the child will enjoy – Toy Story, Finding Nemo, E.T., Cars, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are most suitable for children  aged 3- 7; if the child is a bit older – Frozen, Despicable Me or How to Train your Dragon are better choices. If the movies aren't available you can always opt for a few Dora or Spongebob episodes (thank God for YouTube) but please no Doraemon.

Never Doraemon.

Children get bored easily so they're likely to look up at you in the middle of a movie with a demanding look that says “I'm bored/This sucks.” This is where you switch to games. Tic-tac-toe or thumb war will keep them occupied for a short time. Most kids love colouring stuff (sometimes freshly painted walls). Give them a pack of colours and a colouring book; if you don't have those, resort to technology – 'Kids Colouring Fun', an app on the Android Play Store, is a good replacement if the child is old enough to use the family tab. It offers dozens of images that you colour by just touching the screen. It doesn't take long to download either and of course no mess is created.

Try not to swear in the presence of the child. And just so you're prepared, kids often spit at you without warning or reason... or maybe that just happens with me.

Pro-tip: make sure you have candy (edible ones). Kid is biting into your arm and refuses to let go?  Calmly tell them they'll get M&M's if they stop. Works like a charm.