to think that a 15 year old is too young to look after a 6 year old...

[LucieMay]

... at night time? My niece is leaving school soon, nearly 16. She wants to make some babysitting money and is nagging me to let her look after my six year old DS at night this Friday (I'd arranged to go out but can't find a babysitter in the family). I personally think she's too young to babysit him, particularly at night. She's never looked after him on her own before. AIBU?

I was looking after my baby brother at 15. While my parents worked/went out.

YABU.

At six she hardly needs much looking after. Thinking in the way of nappies/feeds etc.

YABU

When I was almost 16 I used to babysit for a family who had four children, the eldest was 9, the youngest 2.

YAB at bit U. 15 is plenty old enough to babysit a 6 year old, but your niece shouldn't be nagging you.

It totally depends on her and your DS.

Will your DS behave for her?

Will he already be in bed?

Is she trustworthy or likely to invite people round?

Most 15yr olds I know are very capable of babysitting. I babysat from the age of about 12.

I used to babysit children that age when I was 12. YABU.

I think it's fine I babysitted from about 13 for people I knew well. I was very sensible though.

Sorry he not she !

It depends on the 15 year old! At 15, I was babysitting my cousins who were 3 and 1 at the time, for several hours until my aunt and uncle got back when the pubs shut.

We got on just fine...

YABU
I started babysitting at 13, when my younger cousin was born.
I was fine, he is fine. Surely a 6 yr old is not that much trouble at night? Will she not just be sitting watching telly eating chocolate?

YABU.
I've had 15 yr olds looking after mine as babies (much trickier than a 6 yr old) and I've had 15 yr olds looking after all 3 of mine at once.
Sounds an ideal arrangement.
My 13 yr old is doing some babysitting "training" at the moment, her doing all the work looking after her little cousins, while I sit on the sofa doing nothing. Once she is confident, she will be sitting for them sometimes.

My sister was born when I was 15 and I babysat her and my 3 brothers if Mum and Dad went out.

My dad left his home in Italy, caught a train and a boat and a coach and travelled to London where he found a job and a roof over his head.........he was 15! My mum and her sisters were regularly looking after babies and children well before their teens.

Tell her the rules, leave your number and have a lovely night out!

I babysat 3 kids at that age, all were under 6. I'd let my stepdaughter babysit at that age. I wouldn't have let my stepson. It all depends in the maturity of the 15 year old.

YABU.

Although, I would certainly ask her to do a babysitting/first aid course before letting her do it.

I was babysitting from 13, but mu mum was across the road, so it was little steps to get to full babysitting.

I babysat at 15 for a neighbour. Depends on how you think she would cope I suppose?

Remember too that we have the luxury of mobile phones nowadays.

Once when one of the kids I was babysitting started throwing up everywhere, I had to ring a restaurant and ask to speak to the parents!

At least you can send the odd text to keep your mind at rest.

If you think she's not up to it, don't let her - you'll have a rotten time worrying.

But intrinsically, YABU. Maybe she could do the first part of the night and another person the second part?

We had a friends 15 yr old look after our Dc one evening. I felt really confident about her doing it and she was fine. Her dad only lives a few doors down though so she had immediate back up if she needed it. However when I was 15 I would have been utterly irresponsible and a bit rubbish at baby sitting. So I guess it completely depends on who the 15 year old is

My friend employs a very sensible 14 year old to babysit her 7 and 5 year olds. It depends on the teenager I think, if your instincts are saying no it is probably more to do with your neice than her age....?

My 15 yr old babysits for my 6 yr old.....
She brings her home on the train from school in an emergency, she's pretty reliable and I trust her, so it does depend on the 15 yr old.....

YABU.

15 is plenty old enough to babysit if you otherwise trust the girl.

YABU a 6yo is hardly a baby, they are capable of getting themselves ready for bed and likely to be reasonable. I remember my next door neighbour, had a baby brother, we must have been about 11 and we she/we were left in charge of him , obviously my parents were next door and nnn grandparents were across the road, but still. Actually he was running a fever one time, nnn phoned her Mum and was told to give him calpol, which we did, can you imagine now, it would be ss ahoy.

She shouldn't be nagging you.

But you are completely unreasonable to say no just because you think she is too young.

And as for the first aid course- has everyone on here who looks after a child got one?

YABU. I was babysitting kids that age when I was 11. What exactly are you worried about?

I actually looked after my niece herself when I was 16 when she was a baby, while my sister worked on my day off from college! Ds is well behaved and they get on well but I think I have concerns about leaving her in my house! She's a good kid but about a year ago she and her friend stayed over at my house and while I was asleep in bed they invited two lads round. I was furious at the abuse of my trust as ds was asleep upstairs while these random boys were in my house! She's grown up a lot since then but I guess I still don't fully trust her.