To ask, at what age your children stopped having a babysitter?

[sawseesaw]

I'm out late (past midnight) tonight. DD is outraged and says she'd rather be alone and she's too old to have a babysitter.
I'll say how old she is in a bit. Want to see your responses first.

14 - less babysitter by then, more paid to eat pizza, watch films and play station

Yep - 14

Should add that we are quite rural with no neighbours

I'd say 14 too. Obviously she is happy to be left alone.

if it’s just one child alone then maybe age 13? If they already go to and from school by themselves then you’d know if they’d be responsible to be left for a few hours in the evening. Depends if they have any additional needs or not and give them strict instructions not to cook anything or open the door

You can be an actual babysitter at 14 so I guess then? Not that I’d actually employ a 14 year old babysitter (siblings would be different) to look after young kids, even if you can, but a 14 year old with no one younger to look after would be OK I think.

After midnight, I'd say 13-14 years old.

I'd be happy to leave a 12-13 year old until about 10pm though.

Child and circumstances dependant, I'd say from 12.

I hope it turns out that's she's just a really sassy 6 year old. Or she's 30 and you're one of those parents 😂

14

13ish

My 11yo is ok to 8ish. Dont think she'll be happy asleep for another couple of years at least.

13

I think 12 is reasonable, even 11 during the day.

My 14-year-old DD babysits for people regularly; why wouldn't you use a sitter of that age, @Hayliebells ?

Maybe 13 if it's local and back earlier than midnight.

I used to babysit for other families in the city from 12, I would have left my daughter until midnight from about 12 too.

10 yo until bedtime gets to be alone.

After midnight? 45 probably.

14 - no babysitter
13 - understandably annoyed at having a babysitter but midnight is too late to stay alone
12 - babysitter

From 11/12 for the evening if they were sensible. Probably 14 if not. 15/16 for overnight. Very much dependent on child, siblings etc though

Age 12/13 no longer need babysitter

If it was a 14 year old I knew well, and knew they were sensible, I probably would do. But I have known too many very non-sensible 14 year olds to trust a random one I'm afraid!

13 yr old still being babysat here. Can't imagine they'll be ready to be left alone until at least 14. Would want their younger sibling to be at least 12 too.

It was 12 at night, I think, maybe 13. Definitely 16 overnight.

But we live on a main road and have a loud dog. I imagine you’re a bit more cautious being rural with no neighbour.

My 2 DC left together....probably 25
My older one is sensible and I could see them being left on their own until midnight at 13/14(as long as they don't become obsessed by the opposite sex).
My younger one at current temperament definitely not leaving them on their own at night if I want to find my house in the same state as I left it.

I’d be led by the child and how comfortable they felt about it.

But not before 12.

We used to use 15 and 16 yr old babysitters when dc were younger. We also knew everyone on our street though. Ds is 13, so to be babysat by a girl 2 years older would be weird. I find it harder making the call now the dc are older.