Babysitting one

[Bitbloweyoutthere]

Both dc about to turn 13 and 11, but not until October. Often left alone together during the day for an hour or so. Sometimes more if I have to work and dh is also in work or sleeping off nights. Sensible. Don't fight.

We would like to go out for the night. Home by 1130. All our previous babysitters have proper jobs and social lives now.

Dc1 reckons they'd be fine alone. He's also mortified by the idea of a babysitter. Especially as said sitter may only be a couple of years older than him.

Obviously we're going to have to either find someone or not go out, but how did other people cope in this weird phase? I was babysitting myself, at 13!

Do you have a neighbour who would sit and watch tv in your house and you can pay them?

Doesn't have to be a formal babysitter but I think they are too young to know what to do in an emergency e.g. fire or burglar breaking in.

We've not lived here very long, so don't know people well enough. That's part of the issue. In our old house, we could have asked neighbours to pop in and check, or just sit with them.

I don't know. I think if they're sensible they'll probably be ok but I don't like the idea of them putting themselves to bed while no one else is home. I've got a 14 year old and he's been left alone for hours during the day but I wouldn't at night. One time when he was 12, he was home alone and rang me freaking out that someone was downstairs. Turns out it was new neighbours moving in next door and he could hear banging. So I think even if they're normally sensible, at night there's still the potential for them to start worrying about stuff. If i did leave them at night I'd be ringing every hour or so.

My kids are the same ages as yours. I think the latest I would be comfortable leaving them home alone is 9.30pm. Something about it being night time makes me uncomfortable. I don't have a solution to suggest as I wouldn't use a baby sitter at this age either!

I was also babysitting at age 13! I think it's fine to leave them for the evening if they are happy to be left (I wouldn't if they were not happy). I'd perhaps get a take away pizza or something that doesn't need cooking, and I'd call a couple of times during the evening too.

Yes it's the night time thing for me. And putting themselves to bed. And the headlines if anything were to happen.

Younger dc would be a bit twitchy, I think.

It feels mad that we had more freedom when they were younger!