ExH allowed 13 year old to babysit Step Siblings

What if the under 16 year old was the parent? How does that work?

Please stop this from happening. The kids are supposed to be with dad not the 13 year old child. I would stop contact over this unless I could be absolutely certain it would not happen again!

£2/hr? That's less than a third of the minimum wage for u18s. The poor feckers in illegal nail bars, car washes, cannabis farms and brothels probably get paid more than that.
I'd go pretty bonkers at him. So she's not worth spending an evening with, even though he hardly sees her, and she's only worth peanuts for babysitting? Is that what he's teaching her?

A 13 year old is not old enough to look after a 2 year old!!!

I think the babysitting is fine on paper so to speak.

It’s not ok that he’s doing this on a weekend he’s supposed to be spending time with her. It kind of is his fault he works away six weeks at a time, there are other jobs.

Step-siblings? So she hasn’t even known them for two years?

The first thing I said was "how does she feel about it?". Who says she's not taken care of? A sensible 13yo is more than capable of managing a few hours of babysitting if she is willing. If she doesn't want to, that's another matter. Lots of 13yo would far rather the tv and snack cupboard to themselves than hanging out with dad and step mum...
I was babysitting at 13. My own DCs babysitter only just turned 16...

13 is too young to be responsible for two kids that young. I think it might be illegal here (Scotland), but either way it’s too young - very unfair to put that level of responsibility on a child of that age. Quite apart from that though is the point others have made - why on earth is he going out with his wife in his (pretty piss poor) contact time??

I was babysitting similarly aged children at 13. I can't believe teenagers have regressed that much in 20 years that they can't cope with babysitting their siblings for an evening.

Sounds like a shit excuse of a father when he barely sees her he using her as cheap childcare to take his wife on a date night. That’s crap.

NSPCC say all sorts of stuff - they also say children shouldn't be left home alone until they're 12

whs does dd think?

again, I was babysitting at that age, and we didn't have mobile phones!

Her age in itself is absolutely fine. She's not being asked to raise them and be in charge of the house, she's just looking after 2 young kids for a few hours. On that aspect alone, it's a non-issue.

they both might be potty-trained, or just one, or none, who knows. Neither of these scenario are exceptional😁

I was babysitting at that age myself, only job you can really earn money when you are young, so it's absolutely fine - provided the babysitter offers her service, not being forced by her dad and is being paid a decent rate!

Oh come on. She's not 16. She's not long turned 13 and is still a child herself and needs taken care of, emotionally as well as physically.

I'd say 13 is fine to babysit. Presumably it went ok? If she's happy to do it then fine. If she doesn't want to then make sure she knows she can refuse. The payment offered is a bit low, but presumably she accepted it? To just watch the kids in a vague manner from the house she would've been sitting in anyway? Many teens would be asked to do that for nothing for their siblings.
If she wants more she can negotiate.
But you can't have it both ways, saying she's too young but also she deserves more money. It can't be both.

The dad is a cf though, £10 for a whole evening?!

I'd genuinely be asking her if she wants to continue going there. If she's old enough to babysit she's old enough to make that choice. What a shit dad, he barely sees her as it is.

It absolutely doesn't say that!

It's only some anxious parents who can't imagine leaving their own teenagers alone until they are well in their 20s, let alone caring for younger ones.

But in this situation, the father is still a CF

How does she feel about it? Some teens thrive on responsibility. I think a sensible 13yo is fine to be in charge of presumably sleeping 2 and 5yos. Woefully underpaid though. Going rate is more like £10ph for a teenage babysitter these days.

This. Can't understand how calm some of the other commenters are being about this.

Just re-read the post and saw that they weren't home until half past midnight! Leaving a 13 year old for FIVE hours with 2 very young children to put to bed, one of whom probably isn't toilet trained (forgive me as I have no children and may not be certain about development milestones)... I would be absolutely fucking livid if I were you.

Can't see anything wrong with babysitting at 13, but £10 is too little pay, not clear if she had a choice, the 2 year old is too young, and coming back at 12.30am is a piss take! I wouldn't be happy with this.

As it was on contact I do think it was a bit shit to leave her.

I was babysitting at 14 and so were my teens.