Would you do this with your child?

[treesmight]

Would you leave 14/15 year old child alone at home for a week with food in fridge, some money and in a safe village/area? There’s a local shop with food a five minute walk away.

[Hen2018]

No.

My parents left me at 17 for the weekend to look after my 2 primary school aged siblings. It was lucky that nothing went wrong.

[Cipot]

I have a 15 year old and no definitely not.

[Jellybabiesforbreakfast]

@Hen2018. Could I ask why you felt out of your depth? I would never leave a 17yo in charge of two young children for that length of time, but quite a few people on here insist they were babysitting at 14 and that was fine .

[Eviethyme]

No. I would leave for 1 night max unless 16+
They could stay at a friend's house for a few nights and then at home for 1 night but I wouldn't leave at home alone for more than that

[Wafflewombat]

Next door left their kid alone. They called me from their ski trip saying that there was a party at the house & could we break it up?

It was rammed with teenagers...

She doesn't talk to me now, no clue why. I think I was brave even to entertain shutting it down. 🙄

[motherloaded]

but quite a few people on here insist they were babysitting at 14 and that was fine

just have a look on your local groups, how old do you think babysitters actually are?

They have to start somewhere

[Jellybabiesforbreakfast]

just have a look on your local groups, how old do you think babysitters actually are?

No one round here would pay a 14 year old to look after young children. I literally don't know anyone who would do that. I've had my neighbours' older girl (around 13) to help at a birthday party but that was mostly handing out snacks.

I can maybe understand a 14 year old older sibling being left in charge of older primary school children until their parents get home from work but that's all. Even when we were young (and that was 7/8+, not little ones), our babysitters were university age at least. They needed to be to control us!

[motherloaded]

You are absolutely free to employ nanny exclusively too, but I seriously doubt you are living in the only area in the country where "no one employs a 14 year old to babysit".

It's a babysitter, no one expect them to be a full on nanny!

[motherloaded]

If no one was employing babysitters of at least uni age, HOW would anyone earn pocket money until they are 18?

[EventOfTheSeason]

No I wouldn't. At that age I would probably have been ok but if anything had gone wrong I'd be stuffed, we lived in the middle of nowhere. I was left for whole days etc from about then which was fun but overnights would have scared me I think.

[G5000]

So if you need to go somewhere and your almost adult child says they don't want to come, you'll hire a babysitter for your 17-year old?

[ColdTattyWaitingForSummer]

Nope.. ds is 14 and I’ll leave him for a few hours day or evening, but not overnight. Not because I don’t necessarily trust him, although I’m not sure how he’d cope with eating vaguely healthy / looking after the house, but it also puts him in a vulnerable position if anyone realises he’s there alone. And I say that as someone who moved out permanently just before turning 17.

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

I think things were very different when we were kids (80's).
I was left for a week when I was 16. The shenanigans my friends and I got up to is not something I'd like my own kids to do!
Also used to be allowed to stay in the parked car when I was much younger (12) & my parents wanted to go for a walk but didn't want to walk with them.
We didn't have seatbelts in the back of the car either.
We were given watered down wine with Sunday lunch.
Times & attitudes change 🤷‍♀️

[Gladimnotcampinginthisweather]

My parents left me in charge of my ten year old sister for a weekend when I was 14. I don't remember there being anyone I could call on. We were ok but I would never have done it to my own children.