I6 year old caring for 2 year old

[Rosebel]

I have been offered a new job which I really want. I have childcare in place 4 days a week but nursery has no space on Thursday until late August.
My job starts in July by which time my eldest will have finished her GCSEs and I'm thinking of asking her to take care of toddler on Thursday until nursery has space.
She absolutely loves her little brother and he adores her but is it asking too much? It would be a long day from about 7:15 to around 4:30.
Once her sister (14)finishes school she'd be able to help too but is it too much to ask?
I know my sister used to look after me during the holidays when our parents were working but I wasn't 2.
YABU it's too much to ask
YANBU it's fine

It is also something to stick on her CV!

Eh, she is the back up!!

It's one day per week, starting in July, until the regular childcare will have a space on Thursdays... In August!

If dd is happy to do it it's fine. And completely normal.

It's fine, you're not asking her to go down the mines or anything, you're asking her to help you out with a bit of babysitting one day in seven for a few weeks, for which she will be paid.

I worked as a full time childminder when I was 17 looking after THREE kids, one of which was only just 3. It was fine generally. The only issues I had were a) the parents and the mother in particular was quite difficult and b) it wasn't in my own house so I had to make a packed lunch, had nothing to do on my 'break' whilst the youngest one napped etc. Your daughter won't have any of those difficulties!

I don't think I'm really spoiling her holiday or stopping her seeing her friends as there are 6 other days in which she can do that.
DS isn't especially hard work he can be clingy but only with people outside the family.
Anyway she has said yes and we're doing a trial run in 2 weeks. Absolutely made clear to her that she can change her mind at any time too.

Being paid to look after your little brother or sister one day a week is not being taken advantage of or having your summer ruined. Its a great way to earn some money to be able to spend enjoying the rest of the summer with friends.

It's nine hours a week for July and August? Can't believe such an extreme reaction.

16 year olds are children. MN is a funny place where parents insist that 13 year olds can’t go on sleepovers or days out without adult supervision, but also think that they’re fully fledged adults by the time they’re 18.

I think OP should pay her 16 year old £40 or so to babysit because it is a long day.

you are not being unreasonable to ask and have a good think about / discussion of how it would work. Times have changed but I started looking after 2 year old little brother all day Saturday whilst parents worked when I was 10.

(I was very mature) A reasonably mature 16 year old should be fine. But if she's adamantly against it I'd probably try something else.

They’re not children. They’re minors, but not children any longer. They’re now teenagers/young adults, and babying them won’t actually help them in any way. And as you think she should be paid to do the work presumably you agree with me that it’s an absolutely fine thing to ask her.

Lots of teens that age spend their summers baby-sitting for money. As long as there's no reason why 16 year old can't I don't think 1 day/week in the summer is too much. Sounds like a great earner for her.

Its one day a week for a few weeks

Totally fine imo

Hopefully teach her about contraception too 😆