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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

too much to my 17yr old niece when babysitting

52 replies

CharBB · 13/07/2019 12:08

Hi,

On Monday my niece is looking after my two kids (3 and 4) whilst me and DH go to a friends birthday meal. The meal is early and we will probably stay for drinks so she will be looking after the kids from (6pm-12/1) she is fine with these times. She will have to get them ready for bed which involves pj’s, nappy changes and then stories to get them to sleep. She offered to do it and I am paying her as well. She has only looked after them once in the day before is it too much to ask of her at 17?

OP posts:
Di11y · 13/07/2019 12:43

I don't think you need to drag her round the night before just to show her where everything is. get her to come 15mins early and show her then. and yes to everything in piles incl a spare nappy and pjs.

MissEliza · 13/07/2019 12:45

Just make sure she understands their routines and house rules. Give her some suggestions about what to do eg find a movie they can watch together. Enjoy your night out!

StoppinBy · 13/07/2019 12:48

My husband put a cloth nappy on our DD backwards, had to do the buttons up at the back and all. Not sure how he did that haha.

She will be fine, the children are at a reasonably easy age (compared to babies) :-)

BlankTimes · 13/07/2019 12:53

I'd still write Childsname Front in sharpie on all the nappies I was leaving in case she gets a bit flustered.

PotteringAlong · 13/07/2019 12:53

I’ve got 3 small children and I’ve put a nappy on backwards before.

She’ll be fine. Don’t get her round the evening before.

Original poster
CharBB · 13/07/2019 12:54

@BlankTimes I will do that just in case

OP posts:
Imanamechangeninja · 13/07/2019 12:56

My DD was doing this for neighbours from 15 onwards. She loved the kids. They loved her and thought she was cool. The mum and I were both just a phone call if needed, but we never were.

FuriousVexation · 13/07/2019 13:02

Does she have school the following day? because there's no fucking way I could have stayed out til midnight, then taken 2hrs to wind down and sleep before getting up at 7am the following day.

ClaphamOmniwuss · 13/07/2019 13:02

At 17 I regularly looked after a family with 2,5 and 7 years with absolutely no difficulty. She’ll be fine?

Rubbinghimsweetly2 · 13/07/2019 13:03

I'd still write Childsname Front in sharpie on all the nappies I was leaving in case she gets a bit flustered.

Don't be daft.

She'll be fine, enjoy your night out!

NauseousMum · 13/07/2019 13:08

Dont get her around the evening before unless you will pay her for that time. Just 15 mins before, you can always write out the tips for her e.g. dc poos right before bed, put him on the potty after milk.

HappyNOTdriving · 13/07/2019 13:09

My mum had me at 17 and 5 months and I had left home and was working full time at 17 so I think 17 is plenty old enough to have kids for 6 hours!

Obviously I suppose it depends on the actual 17 year old in question as Iv met some who I'd never trust to feed my cat never mind look after my children!

crustycrab · 13/07/2019 13:09

Dragging her round the night before? She's 17, she'll be fine.

Bwekfusth · 13/07/2019 13:11

although she has put nappies on backwards before

So have I, on my own children. Grin

LEELULUMPKIN · 13/07/2019 13:13

I put nappies on backwards on my only DS for 2 weeks after he was born and couldn't for the life of me figure out why it was so difficult. I was 35!

Fresta · 13/07/2019 13:17

OFGS, you sound ridiculous!

She's old enough to have a baby of her own, and what does it matter if the nappy is on backwards?

Loftyswops988 · 13/07/2019 13:17

I don't think you need to get her round the day before. Just leave everything for bed in piles. Anyone can accidentally put a nappy on backwards - not the end of the world!

She will be fine! 17 is more mature than you think - i was looking after three kids at 17 and no issues

bmbonanza · 13/07/2019 13:18

She will be fine - at 17 she could be counted in ratio at a nursery, or even have children of her own.

Sobeyondthehills · 13/07/2019 13:20

put nappies on backwards before

I have also done this, on my child, nephews, friend's children.

Original poster
CharBB · 13/07/2019 13:21

Thanks for all the posts and you have made me feel a lot better. She is definitely mature enough and old enough. I will just do the piles and write the instructions down. Thanks everyone

OP posts:
ethelfleda · 13/07/2019 13:27

Putting nappies on backwards isn’t going to harm anyone though! I’m sure it will be fine. Enjoy your evening.

Rosiesandposies1 · 13/07/2019 13:32

When I was 14-17 I was babysitting for 6 different families, with anything between 1-4 children, and age ranges 1-9. I went in and would get ‘their bed clothes are on their beds, nappies and wipes are over there, and X likes his milk warm’ and that was it. You are really over thinking things! (And by time parents came back they would all be bathed, fed, and asleep in bed- never had any problems).

BeyondMyWits · 13/07/2019 13:35

when we were in need of babysitting we were happy to get home to anything really - main thing was getting a whole night out.

If the kids were running round the sofa in a dinosaur suit with chocolate spread all over their faces we could not have cared less.Grin

when we had a teenaged babysitter as 5/6 year old kids I remember her teaching us how to play darts - anyone else remember the days where there seemed to be dartboards in just about every home - so I hid anything sharp when I left my kids

spinderella78 · 13/07/2019 13:37

Definitely get her round to show her the ropes and routine as it will put your mind at rest.

Then go have fun!

I was left babysitting a 2 year old at night when I was 15, I'd never seen a nappy but figured it out with some help from the 4 year old!! I wouldn't advocate that approach but I think your plan sounds fine.

AwdBovril · 13/07/2019 13:40

At 13-14 I regularly used to babysit for a neighbour a few minutes walk away, the children were 3 & 7, both in night nappies (the eldest had some issues in that respect due to a health condition). I used to play games with them, build dens out of the chairs & blankets, put them to bed etc. It was never a problem.

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