To leave 13yo to babysit 2yo?

[Memoo]

I need to go to the ooh GP but am unable to drive. 2yo dd2 is asleep and 13yo dd1 who is very very sensible and really good at handling dd2 is willing to babysit whilst dh drives me there

There is usually quite a wait so dh will come back home and then come back to pick me up when I'm done so leave dd1 to babysit for another 15 minutes.

This is dh's plan. I, on the other hand, am a bit nervous about doing it.

The alternative is we wake dd2 and take her with us where she will no doubt have a melt down because she's knackered.

I wouldn't leave my DS with DD, for the same reasons as scummymummy

You know your DD, if you didn't think she would be ok, you wouldn't think of doing it (if that makes sense!?)
YANBU.

Hope you feel better soon. Ear infections are awwwwful.

When did 13 year old baby sitters not become the norm here in the UK? I was baby sitting at 13 for a 2-3 year old, and that was in the days before mobile phones. And I was perfectly normal across my peers.

I'm surprised it's even a question!

FredFredGeorge I also babysat from the age of 13 for other people. I babysat for a variety of aged children from 8 months onwards. I personally would not use a sitter of this age unless it was one of my own children that I knew was capable. I would definitely think that in this case there is no problem at all.

I think it would be fine.

1950's that goes some way to explaining the babysitter club books. I loved those books as a pre-teen, but could never understand why 11-13 year olds were able to find so much babysitting work!

i leave my 13yr old to look after my 5 yr old a fair amount,though he is super sensible and it is a 5 yr old compared to a 2yr old so i suppose that makes a difference

but it is for a short time and you know your kids better than anybody,so if your happy then go for it

We can't leave my 2 year old with my 17 year old dsd as according to dh she's too much 'away with the fairies'! Such a pain but dd does run rings around her... Ds who's almost 13 is much better with her and more switched on! Depends on the child!

Hope you're feeling better today OP

My DD is 13 and does paid for babysitting for a family that have a 2 year old and a 6 year old. She is very sensible and trustworthy..... not all 13 year olds are!

Feeling much better now after spending most of the weekend howling like a baby :) I don't have the highest pain threshold. I'd had an epidural for a stubbed toe.