Can a 19 year old babysit a baby alone?

[Raspberryripple3000]

Im aware this post sounds like ragebait (I wish it was) but my (19F) mum (40+) has a friend with a baby under a year old, naturally she hasn’t been going out much recently, so my mum offered to look after the baby one night so they can go out, assuming she’d be tired I offered to do it, without saying it with a lack of confidence. Since my pet passed away relatively recently, I thought it would be nice to have someone to take care of.

All of this sounds pretty normal right? Well not to my mum! After my (seemingly) normal request, she said no, I can’t do it alone and that I’ll need someone ‘mature’ (her) with me. I really don’t know what to think to that as I sounded quite confident and sure while saying it, heck I would have even looked forward to it, I’m overage (and aware younger teens are capable too), I have no mental health conditions, I’ve known the mum of the baby for over 7 years, and even my mum looked after a baby after she left school (about 16 years old) so I really don’t know why my perfectly normal request backfired to make me look like a little 10 year old trying to seem grown? Surely denying a 19 year old to look after a baby (who’s well past the newborn stage) that she’s confident about looking after is a bit strange? My mum could at least see what the mum of the baby thinks right? All of your suggestions/comments will mean so much to me! :)

I mean of course you could. I wouldn’t leave my baby with a friends daughter though.

Im almost 40 and no way would i baby sit for anyone.

Aged 18 I got a job caring for a year old in a large household where a new baby was expected. I was there less than a week when the adults all went off to a wedding for 15 hours, thankfully taking new baby with them but leaving me with the year old and six slightly older ones.

This sounds like irresponsible on the parents' part, but if it was just the 1 yr old, you'd had a few days getting to know the baby and how to care for them. Not the 10 minute handover you might do with an experienced babysitter. I suppose in your employers' favour with that many kids there were probably some old enough to know how to care for the baby in their own right too. Unless they really went in for multiples.

Is it possible your mum is protecting you - if something happened while you were looking after the baby, it would be awful.

Op hasn't been asked to look after the baby though.

Exactly.
The baby's mum would be right to feel very upset if the person she trusted (Ops mum) went off and left Op with the baby. And she'd never trust anyone should something go wrong.

Lots of posters are commenting, yeah I had a baby in my teens, etc Yes and you probably had to grow up bloody fast.

Op just doesn't sound mature enough to care for herself never mine SOMEONE else's baby. I almost wonder if their is some sort of LD or ND going on.

@Raspberryripple3000 can you not sit with your Mum while she's looking after the baby, observe, maybe change a nappy, help with a feed while she's there so she can see you understand the basics.

But the real test is when baby is not happy, doesn't want to sleep because they're over tired. It can be very stressful, especially if you have no experience with babies.

Once you've done all these things you can offer your babysitting services to the baby's mum directly. What about older children in the meantime if you're looking for a caring role?

I was in demand at 14 as a babysitter. Youngest 6 months, plus two siblings in one family. Another 9 month old. To be honest I was born dependable and resourceful, but no, 19 is not too young!

I started babysitting when I was 9 years old I think a 19year old is old enough and then some as long as they know what they are doing

I hope you're joking because leaving a 9 yr old, however sensible, in charge of another child is neglect. Just leaving a 9 yr old for an evening without their own babysitter would probably be considered neglect if anything bad happened that brought it to official attention.

Right?!

My 12yo looks after my 2yo but that means she plays with him and keeps him entertained whilst I jump in the shower or make dinner.

Edited as double posted 🙄

I can’t believe this thread is still going and how many posters truly have zero reading comprehension.

If I've understood your posts correctly, sounds to me like it's your mum that wants to babysit and for some reason deflecting it back on you to say "no you need someone mature to do it"
If so, drives me mad when people do stuff like that, why doesn't your mum just spit out the truth without dragging at/sniping at others - just say "No, I offered to babysit, I still want to do it but thank you anyway!"

Before that would it have been illegal?!

She would have been under the age of consent?

My mum had 2 babies by the time she was 19!
I used to look after 3 young children when I was about 17…. Loved it!
It isn’t really anything to do with your mum though, offer your friend directly!
I would take from this that your mum thinks you’re immature and irresponsible.

Right but I don't think having the baby is the illegal part

Of course a 19 year old can look after a baby - my mum had me at 19 and managed fine! My cousin (17) babysits my daughter (2). However, it is very difficult to look after a baby - you'd need to feel comfortable changing nappies, feeding, comforting them etc. as well as knowing basic safety rules (don't leave them unattended on a changing table etc.) and what to do in an emergency. Plus you can't leave them (to make food, go to the toilet etc.) - it's a lot for anyone to take on if they haven't had their own children or aren't exposed to babies regularly, for long periods of time. I would have really struggled to allow anyone to look after my daughter when she was a baby - it's not personal, it can just be very difficult to do that as a parent.