Young babysitters?

[indigodreams]

Do you think a very mature 15 year old is old enough to look after an 11 year old and a 2 year old from 7-1 at night? I'm not comfortable with it but all my friends say it is OK.

Power cuts whilst babysitting are fun... tends to be the only time you can get all the children involved in a game of Monopoly by Candlelight. Been there, you can tell Even better when the house has a fireplace with working chimney, logs, firelighters etc. Nothing like having toast cremated on a real fire.

In a powercut you all tend to gather together... so no candles left unattended in a chid's bedroom. Sure it can be tricky at first whilst finding things - but youth of today have portable light (mobile phone for example).

I was babysitting as an adult when we had a power cut-it was the 12 yr old that I was sitting for who dealt with it-she knew where everything was. She wasn't worried.

I think for power-cuts it's more the not knowing where things are/being in a strange house/dealing with other scared children. Do remember that they're not 'at home' so something which wouldn't faze them normally might suddenly seem scary. But this isn't about how scary power-cuts are for anyone other than the babysitter in question and if said sitter fine with it (and the OP prepares well) it's not a problem. It's the unexpected which could potentially be a problem. Some mature teens can act in very strange ways when faced with the unexpected...

The teenage sitter could phone home and ask her mother to come around.

At age 14yo I was babysitting for two girls aged 6yo and 7yo. The 7yo was severely autistic and was non-verbal. I could manange! Plus at 16yo, I had my DD. I was more than capable of looking after her and by the age of 13yo had done a first aid course, so the mother of the girls felt confident that I was capable. (It heled that she knew I had experience with autism as my Dbro has Aspergers, admittedly). By 15yo, I was doing overnights there to give her a rest asd she got no respite, I used to do one overnight a fortnight. Her dc were perfectly fine, and my DD is now almost 13yo, and still here!

Now my DD is nearly 13yo, and there is NO WAY that she is capable of babysitting for anyone, but a 15/16yo that is known to be mature, I wouldn't have a problem with babysitting my dc.

I was friends at college with a few girls (16 years old) doing childcare qualifications. They had way more skills than I do at 36 - being as the majority had become mothers at 14. Two actually had two.

Depends on the circumstances. Our best ever babysitters were the five daughters of a neighbour. 18 months to 2 years between each girl. In the early days the eldest came then 14 - used to looking after her little sisters and sat for ds who was then about 1 for up to four hours. As time passed the younger ones became old enough and when dd was born the 12 year old used to come to help me by playing with ds for a few pounds. Have to say it was great but their mum was only ever a skip and a jump away.

DS is a very sensible and mature 15 year old. He has been doing the odd babysit for friends with 12 year olds and younger but has refused jobs where the youngest is still in nappies. These are all families we know well from primary school though and I am generally at the end of the phone and would jump in the car or pop round if there was a problem and the parents know it.

I would and have. Although I'd always choose a slightly older teenage by choice - our babysitters are usually 16/17.

Can I add that my 8yo DS is a more capable babysitter of DD (2) than my 65yo Dad?

(Not that I'd actually ask him at that age)

Clearly I am from the dark ages as I thought babysitting was a prime way of earning money for teenagers, along with paper rounds and car washing. That's certainly how I earnt all my money from 11 onwards.

15 years old is nearly adult. I would happily leave my child and home under the care of a willing 15 year old and pay them the going rate. Isn't it what teenager are for?

It was the way that I earned my money and it is sad if it is an area now closed. 15yrs may be a bit doubtful unless they have back up but I can't see why 16/17 yr olds are not suitable. I used them, I did however interview first.

Second the idea that surely babysitting is prime money-earning avenue for teenagers? I certainly did from age 15, though mostly for the 5-9 year olds of various friends of my parents. I was certainly mature enough to cope, though I remember being worried that I wouldn't know how to deal with one little boy who was severely asthmatic. But then I'm not sure an adult would have known how to deal with an asthma attack any better, and I'd known how to dial 999 since I was 4 .

My 15 year old DD advertised and is going to babysit for an 18 month old baby whose mu is 18. She will be out from 9pm - 1.30am (£5 per hour) - am concerned about my daughter being involved with someone so young...am I being silly?

My 15 year old DD advertised and is going to babysit for an 18 month old baby whose mum is 18. She will be out from 9pm - 1.30am (£5 per hour) - am concerned about my daughter being involved with someone so young...am I being silly?