To think this is totally ok and I am not a lax parent

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Have 3 dd 15 12 and 6
Very occasionally I leave them with the 15 year old in charge. Never more than an hour or two and not at night.
Another mum of a small child btw has made me feel like a bad mum for giving dd1 this responsibility.
So who is unreasonable?

Should have said she doesn't have any other chores to do.

I was babysitting regularly at 15! As long as your kids know what to do if there is an emergency, I wouldn't worry about it!

Sounds fine to me, so long as the two oldest don't argue. You don't want to leave your three year old in a war zone! A 15 year old is capable of watching a 3 year old for an hour or two.

My dd 14 /ds 15 occasionally watch ds 5 while I work for 2 hours max.
Never give it a second thought tbh.
Work is less than 5 mins away.
Very occasionally a restaurant 15 mins away too!
Ignore the critics.

Totally normal but then again I don't really agree with the "new normal" regarding what is appropriate at what age and all the over the top safeguarding rules.

I used to babysit an 8yo and 2yo twins when I was 13.

I'm not advocating that, it actually shocks me now, but I wouldn't think twice about trusting a sensible 15yo with a 12yo and 6yo sibling (realistically the 12yo could be left on their own anyway so only really watching the 6yo) for a few hours.

Sorry, I mean 6 year old!

The other mum. You know your children best!
When I was 15 i often had sole charge of my younger cousins who were 1 and 2.

I regularly used to baby sit a toddler at that age.

If it is only as you say (rarely, only for an hour ish, and never at night) then the other mum is being ridiculous.

It's fine in my opinion. Mine are slightly different ages - 14 (almost 15), 11 and 9. DD14 now collects DS9 from after school club a couple of times a week and is at home with him for an hour or so. It's actually been good for both of them and they get on better now they have time alone out of the house to chat.

So fine. I wouldn't bat an eyelid at this.
In a year the 15 yo could leave home and get married !

YANBU.

I’d probably let a sensible 15 year old (that I knew well) watch my 1YO for a short period if I was nearby 🤷‍♀️

If you feel your dd15 is mature and responsible enough to look after siblings then trust your instinct..its no one else business to pass judgement..

Of course it’s fine. Lots of 15 year olds do babysitting as a part time job (I did from 14) and you know best if the younger ones will behave for their sibling- this would be the only reason not to do it in my opinion but it seems like this isn’t a problem in your house! I bet the other Mum is jealous.

If the kids are good for the 15 year old and they will do as they are told then I think it’s fine.

However if the 15 year old has no authority then I wouldn’t leave them

I think this is fine.

I was being paid to babysit overnight at 15. It’s fine as long as the 15 year old in question is responsible.

In fact when I was 14 I used to babysit a 7yo while our parents went to the pub quiz. She is diabetic, I was shown how to do her insulin and test her blood.
It was fine, she survived we're still friends now.

Loads of 15 year olds babysit for pay so this would definitely not be a big deal to me.

I was getting paid to babysit at that age.

Totally depends on the kids in question but I think fine.

So long as child is sensible and you're not doing it all the time then it's fine.

Ffs of course it's fine.

As long as the eldest is responsible and happy to 'babysit' then I see no harm at all. I leave my (very mature and sensible) 12 year old in charge of the 10 year old if I have to nip to the shop. I take the 4 year old with me though as he is a live wire. I have had to leave all 3 before in a an absolute emergency (my granddad broke his hip in town and the paramedics couldn't get him to comply and allow them to get him into the ambulance so I had to rush out to help - he'd suffered a stroke so was very confused and combative).