AIBU to think a sensible 15 year old can babysit for a few hours in the evening?

[Galaxyseeker]

Would you leave a very sensible 15 year old to babysit 4 (sleeping) children for a couple of hours in an evening?

Children all very good sleepers. Just wondering what age people would do this? My husband and I looking forward to being able to go for a quick pub meal together once in a while again.

[chocolatesun]

I think that's fine.

[dancingqueen345]

Isn't this the whole purpose of having multiple children??

Get to the pub!

[InsomniacAnonymous]

blametheparents why wouldn't you allow it?

[Trinity66]

Yeah I would for a short period of time

[Sparrow8]

Yes I would

[Ohforfoxsakereturns]

Oh god yes. Go and enjoy yourself.

[statetrooperstacey]

Yes I would and have, pay him tho, chuck him a tenner and he Will take his job seriously.

[Annabelle4]

I'd be fine with that

[Sharpandshineyteeth]

Yes. And I do. My youngest is 2yo, but she is always asleep. The older DC are usually awake and set up with a DVD and know when to go to bed.

He is very sensible and knows what to do if the youngest wakes or there is a problem.

At 15yo, he will be independent in a few short years. Responsibility needs to be gradual but certainly encouraged.

[GhostedDad]

As the older child I resented my parents doing this to me. It really impacted my social life as a teen :( it was even worse when they expected me to take my younger siblings with me when I met my friends! Don't do this to him... or if you do make it infrequent and pay him a decent amount

[puffyisgood]

it's more or less ok. depends largely on how sensible the youngest kids are.

[Galaxyseeker]

Brilliant, how exciting!!!! The younger ones are asleep by 7pm and the 11 year old in bed at 8pm, so we'd go then!

[Galaxyseeker]

And lots of places literally 5 mins away as well

[TheFirstMrsOsmond]

I think this is fine if you are not too far away from the house and keep your phones on so that in a emergency the 15 year old could call you and you could be home in 10 minutes.

[Loonoon]

It sounds fine to me, my 14 year old DC regularly babysat for the neighbours 3 young DC but she was very sensible and I was a 3 minute walk away if she had a crisis (which she never did). As the person who knows them best I would trust your own judgement.

[Wintertime4]

It’s on that cusp isn’t it.

I’d probably wait a year.

However if you do, just be really clear what to do. Numbers on fridge. No answering the door. No cooking or using toaster etc (anything that could go wrong basically!) and be 10 mins away.

[GetOffTheTableMabel]

We let dd1 babysit for dd2 from 14, as long as we were a few minutes walk away. They get on well. From age 15 we ventured a bit further. Now she’s 17 I actually feel less comfortable with it. Am sure she’d sneak bf/friends/vodka/some sort of mischief in.

Enjoy it. 15 year olds are great babysitters. 17 year olds - not so much!

[EnidButton]

Of course it's ok. I was babysitting at 15 and not for my siblings.

That said, I do think you should pay him and not do it very often. Like Ghosted I think it's unfair on the older sibling if they're used as the go to babysitter without having much say in it.

[umpireStrikesBack]

Yes, with some back up not too far away (perhaps you) just in case.

[InsomniacAnonymous]

Wintertime4 no cooking or using toaster? At 15? I was living on my own at 16 so I can't imagine not being trusted to cook or use a toaster at 15.

[InsomniacAnonymous]

Also, the OP has said that he's very sensible.

[80sMum]

I used to babysit for a family of 4 when I was 15! When I started sitting for the family, they had a boy aged 7, a boy aged 5, a girl aged 3 and a baby boy of 7 months who had sn. I had to feed the baby his tea, clean him up afterwards, change his nappy, give him a bottle and put him to bed in his cot, whilst simultaneously supervising the 3 children having their tea. Then get all 3 children into their pyjamas and chase them around the house and up the stairs to their bedrooms before reading numerous bedtime stories and coaxing them into bed.

They were lovely kids and the parents were very generous in what they paid me. My standard rate was 25p per hour, but they used to give me £5 for 6 hours (6.30 till 12.30).

When my own children were young, we used teenage babysitters too; they were the children of friends and neighbours, so we knew them well and our kids were happy to stay with them.

I think you have to make your own judgements on these things and follow your instincts.

[Wintertime4]

I said while he’s babysitting! Introduce responsibility in stages. If he is seriously keeping an eye on kids then you don’t want the poor lad forgetting his waffles because a kid is crying in bed. Make it easy for him. Promise him a take away.

[amusedbush]

I was about 13 when my parents left me to look after DBro, who is six years younger than me and was a total terror.

He'll be fine at 15. The 11 year old won't take any looking after.

[TodayImThisName]

Myd DDs were babysitting at 14 for kids including toddlers and would put them to bed. They would always have phone numbers to call if there was a problem.

I’d be happy to leave a 15 to watch their younger siblings and I don’t think I’d bother waiting for the 11 to go to sleep. I’d go through some safety reminders and some rules with them but I wouldn’t hesitate unless there was some particular reason to.