Would you allow a 13 year old to babysit a 6 or 7 year old ?

[Lardlizard]

For a couple of hours in evening ?

No i wouldn't. Too much responsibility for a 13 year old.

I did at that age and dd has but only for neighbours and we minutes away. My friends kids 15 13 and 12 she still gets a sitter! So every circumstance different

Yes. 7yo in bed & you're local.

All the usual reminding of rules, what to do if aliens invade etc.

We stopped getting sitters haven’t for a while. 2 sensible girls who get on (13 and 11). Was paying dopey teens to sit with them but dd1 much more switched on seemed pointless. Only leave them if we local though and can be home in minutes

Yes, assuming plenty of local neighbours and when you say a 'couple of hours' are you going to the gym or a meeting, nearby pub or similar where you get home quickly from?

Times are clearly different now but when I was 13 (nearly 50 years ago ) I had a regular after school job where I would care for two youngsters, get their dinner ready, help with homework whilst both parents were at work ... and that was well before mobile phones etc .

My 14 year old ds babysits his 7 year old brother and it’s always been fine.

I’d also trust him to babysit neighbour’s children too as he’s very sensible.

No I wouldn't. Didn't even have to think about it.

So hard to know when to let go a little. I think at 16 a lot of people are working etc let alone around the world, yet they don’t suddenly turn for children that looking after 24/7 to 16 year olds capable of getitng themeselves to and from work etc it’s not like a flick suddenly switches one day and you can say ok off you go

And it can be hard to know when and how to allow more independent and responsibilities

Exactly @Lardlizard

Like with most things - there isn't 'a day' when someone is suddenly old enough to do something - you gradually work up to it in small steps. This sounds like a good time to take that step.

When people like the pp said they wouldn't and wouldn't even think about it, I wonder when you then do start to think about it. Fair enough, to give it some consideration and come to a different end opinion from someone else (as most posters have replied - it does depend on quite a lot of things), but aged 13 seems a good time to start thinking about it.

Yes. A friend’s son is 12 and has looked after my 7 year old. Both are sensible (but high energy, adventurous) boys.
I wouldn’t leT him look after my (Just about) 3 year old as ten tantrums etc are a bit much too handle at 12.

It totally depends on the 13yo. DD1 has been babysitting for families since around that age. DD2 I wouldn't have left at that age without a babysitter.

Thanks back for good

Ds is 13 and I'd be more likely to leave the 7 year old to babysit him.

I babysat when I was 13 though and I can imagine dd being capable when she's older:

Disclaimer : I love ds obviously but he is a day dreamer with dyspraxia and no common sense AT ALL and it's not a great combination.

Not a chance. Not one kid but 2 kids to baby sit at 13.

God I babysat 3 kids one a tiny baby when I was this age! I do think kids tend to be “babied” more now and given less responsibility.

Most 13 years olds probably know more about first aid than adults. Mine has learnt it a couple of times at school and again at Girls Brigade.

I wouldn't go out for an entire evening and leave my 13 year old in charge but I'm content to leave her in charge of her brother for an hour whilst DH and I go for a run or something.

I babysat at 13 but I don't think I would leave a 13 year old with my 6 year old. My nephew is 13 and goes to bed at 9 so wouldn't be much use!

I have asked if he wants to babysit in the summer holidays though in my house while I work from home upstairs.

As well as all the other factors, I’d be happier if the 13 yr old could physically restrain the younger one. What if the younger one decided they were going to go and find you, for example.

It depends on the children tbh. If you know the 13 year old to be responsible and has proved themselves responsible and you know they'd know what to do in an emergency and if the ones being baby sat are not really challenging and you know they won't play up, I would. Some 13 year olds are not very mature and can't be trusted and some 6 or 7 year olds can be challenging with bed times and behaviour, so in either of those cases, I wouldn't.

Depends entirely on the individual children involved. I wouldn't leave ds1 (14) to be responsible for anyone; ds2 (11) I would definitely trust. When ds1 was 6, he would have been too much for most 13 year olds (most adults also tbh), when ds2 was 6 he would have been fine.