Babysitting would you do this?....

[shecamefromgreece]

Hi I've got four dc aged 4,5,8 and 14 next month.
At what age do you think it would be ok for eldest daughter to babysit for a couple of hours?
Dh and I were thinking of going out for a meal tonight, the restaurant would be about a seven minute drive away, not drinking so driving, the four and five year old would be in bed asleep (don't wake up) we would put the eight year old would be in bed but awake.
Our good friends live next door so would tell them we are going out.
Dd is very sensible and ok with doing it but I don't know!!
What would you do? Is she too young? Dh thinks it's ok but I'm wobbling a bit (however it would be lovely to go as I've had a bugger of a day!)

If your DD is happy then I’d say go for it

Both of mine were baby sitting for neighbours at 14

I babysat at that age, my mum was about 10 houses away.
So long as she has contact numbers, and can knock nextdoor and your not late home, all should be fine.

How sensible is the fourteen year old? Do they ever have disagreements with any of the younger ones? I used to babysit for three DC at this age, of similar ages, but that was nearly twenty years ago and I think people worry more now...sometimes unnecessarily so. I think fourteen is borderline, but you know your DC.

I was babysitting for people I hardly knew at 14. Should be fine.

She's very sensible. I can't remember her falling out with any of them to be honest.. other than can you tell them to get out of my room!
I suppose it's just that first time.....

I was babysitting for families from Church by 14, siblings from 12. Go for it, could be the start of some fantastic freedom!

Oh god Helena that's true... about time

This is the perfect age... they are old enough to babysit but young enough that their social life doesn’t involve too many late nights yet!

Yes I think you're right Helena

Right we are going! I'm actually a bit excited!!

Going against the grain here, but I wouldn't leave a 13 yo in charge of three younger children, even if they were mostly going to be asleep. I know that it's most likely everything would be fine, it's the small chance that something happens that she can't cope with that would worry me. It's a lot of responsibility.

I was babysitting for several families at 14 (I charged 50p an hour! No wonder I was always fully booked )

The way I gage these situations is to not think about the best case scenario (they'll all be asleep, we're 5min away etc) but think of the worse case scenario. So, would your DD be able to handle someone violently thrashing at the door? Or a house fire? Or someone choking?

Food for thought

No that's a good point and exactly what I was thinking in those cases next door neighbours would be here in seconds I've asked them and they are fine about it.

Totally fine, I do the same and my eldest is younger than 14. At 14 I was babysitting for other people. If we are going more than 10 minutes away, or going to be longer than a couple of hours, we get a babysitter.

And the risk of choking would be minimal as only dd1 will be up.

Should add next door neighbours are also the kids godparents we are close it's not just a random couple that moved in a couple of weeks ago.

just tell her not to answer the door to anybody

Just go through worst case scenarios with her, so where the exits are, how to get out depending on where a fire is and where the other kids are, I'd give the neighbours a key so she could call them rather than having to go out and knock for them, other than that go and have a good time

Yep done all those things neighbours have keys already.

Totally fine.

We are home!!
Everyone still alive and we were out for 1hr15 mins
We might get braver next time!!
Was so nice to eat, chat and have a glass of wine (dh drove)
Thanks for the advice

Hurrah! Great news! I also have 4 and can’t wait for my oldest to reach this stage.