Is 14 too young for paid babysitting?

[OnTopOfSpaghetti]

Apologies this question has probably been asked a million times.
A couple of my friends have mentioned using my 14yr old DS as a paid babysitter. He's a sensible lad and good with children, I'd be at the end of the phone if any problems, just wondering if anyone else's DCs had started babysitting at this age?
Thanks

Can I ask your reasons?
I just wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my small child with another child. I can’t see a 14yo being able to deal with an emergency if one arose. Or even an extended tantrum or screaming. 14 is too young to have sole parental responsibility.

Dd will start babysitting for our next door neighbours when she's 14. The children will be 2 and 4, BUT, I will be next door in case of emergency. Tm start with, it will be once the children are asleep, and just for a couple of hours, and we'll work from there. She's already looked after and entertained the older one in our garden for a couple of hours, on her own.

My 14 year old does a fair bit of babysitting, it’s wonderful. She’s mature, clever, patient and responsible... also fun. She gets paid $10 (Nz) an hour and her dad and I are always about if she needs one of us... she’s saving for her gap year :)

That's fair enough if that's how you feel BigBlueBubble but without wishing to start an argument, you did state that you wouldn't even leave a 14yr old on his own, which is what I found very hard to understand.
As I've said, I'd be at the end of the phone so say in your example of an extended tantrum, I'd be there in 5 mins to help.

Great to read all the positive experiences thanks so much everyone

My son would babysit at 14 for my friends sons, they would have been 7 and 4 at the time. We live over the road so if there were any problems he could get in touch (there never were )

you did state that you wouldn't even leave a 14yr old on his own
Maybe for a few hours during the day. But not at night. And certainly not until midnight. The NSPCC recommends not leaving children alone at night until age 16.

BigBlueBubble OK that makes it a bit clearer, thanks for coming back to explain, your initial post did not make that argument clear.

My 15yo has been babysitting for about 18 months. She’s calm, level headed and good with kids. She was really the first to react to an accident outside the church after guides a while back, and was much calmer than quite a few of the adults.

My 13 yo I struggle with temptation to get her a babysitter as she has the attention span of a goldfish and just doesn’t think.

DSD is 14 and has babysat a few times for children she knows well.

If the parents feel your DS is mature enough and he feels so then I’d let him do it. Make sure they have a trial run though with someone close at hand, first time DD babysat she couldn’t work the heating.

Trial run is a good idea ExFury. We had thought about him doing a trial in our house with our 9 yr old initially, we have an opportunity coming up soon for this, but hadn't thought about other people's houses! Thanks.

It is the friends who have asked about it, not me who has raised it, so presumably they are fine with the idea. I just wasn't sure if it was generally acceptable so all the replies are very useful.

I think it depends both on the 14yo and what the children to be babysat are like. I used to babysit around that age, and I generally enjoyed it, but one little boy was a poorly behaved nightmare, and in retrospect I wasn’t old/mature enough to handle him - I was a very responsible kid and would have been fine in an emergency but just didn’t gave the confidence and authority to deal with a naughty child.

I babysat from Y10 so would have been 14 when I started, although I only did it for our next door neighbours so would have been able to get my mum if there had been issues, plus I knew the little girl relatively well. I used to take my coursework over, play for an hour, put her to bed and then eat Pringles while half doing coursework and half making the most of satellite TV without my parents and sister to compromise with! Neighbours would be out 6pm - 12pm and I’d pocket £30 for my troubles. Win/win.

I think it depends on said child..whether they are mature enough to handle the situation, what experience they have, how old the children are thats being cared for.
At 14 i was very capable, i was eldest of 7 so knew exactly what i was doing. I used to babysit for half the street. From babies 6mnths and upwards.
I was even left once till 6/7 the following morning..i had to ring the kids nan as parents had not returned home. I was concerned something may have happened to them, but no they had argued as to who was going to come home to look after the kids. I never got paid and i never babysat for them again!!
I made good money..sometimes 40 quid over a weekend, i was well known and respected in my area.
I have left mine with the older sibling at around same age..but i know they are sensible and they know what to do in emergencies, such as fires etc, and we are strict about the locking and answering of doors whilst we are out.