To think this was way too young?

[FlyingSoap]

Just jogged my memory by reading an old diary. When I was 14, I got a babysitting job (friend of family friend). Their child was only 3 years old. I met them in a cafe before I looked after their daughter, but they’d literally go for a whole evening out - 6pm-11pm - and leave me in charge. They wouldn’t go far, maybe a mile or two away in a taxi for food and drink. I think they paid me £15. She was awake when they left and I would do bedtime and then watch some TV downstairs or do homework. I text the parents midway through to let them know she was ok.

We’re not talking that long ago, ten years ish. I’m now about to become a mum myself and I can’t believe anyone would leave their child with a child! I’d possibly trust a very reliable, close relative age 16 or over. I was responsible as a teenager, had experience with children and knew what to do in theory in an emergency, but I don’t know how I’d have coped in practice.

YABU - you’re overthinking, that sounds totally fine

YANBU - I agree with you, it’s irresponsible

I haven’t voted as I was babysitting for a family of 4 children aged from a baby up to age 8 when I was 14, usually till 1-2am. My mother was only down the road though.

At 15 I fairly regularly babysat a newborn for family friends and that was usually till midnight and the other side of the city, my mum would drop me off and the dad would drop me home. I gave bottles and changed nappies with no problem and would certainly have known what to do or who to call if there were problems.

I didn’t leave my own children, all born in the 90’s with teenage babysitters, probably because I didn’t know any! I was always the one who looked after the babies and toddlers at family events, and as an eight year old I used to help my mum look after her friend’s baby twins and one used to stay in my room with me. My mum was also a nurse, so I think people knew I had some first aid knowledge and I was regarded as very sensible.

I think YANBU to think that a lot of teenagers might not be ready for that kind of responsibility.

I used to babysit the children of my parents’ friends from about that age and it was never an issue for me but I now have a three year old and over my dead body would I leave him with a 14 year old! I do think it’s a situation where times have changed, though I’m not sure why that is.

I babysat for a neighbour at 14/15.
We have Young leaders in Girlguiding age 14/15, very sensible girls, great with children and passed first aid, safe guarding course etc. I’d be very happy to recommend our current Young leader who is 14 for evening babysitting, she’d be fully capable. She look older, I often have to check myself and remember she’s not an adult leader.

At 13 I was minding a three year old and his baby brother fairly regularly. I was sensible at that age but I think minding the baby might have been a slight stretch too far.

What I do look back on with astonishment was minding my great-grandfather who was 97 at the age of 8 or 9. But this was not unusual in Ireland in the 1980s.

@Shielehdie I think perhaps one thing that has changed is everyone having mobile phones, I think teenagers in my day were used to having to manage without contacting their parents every time there was a problem.

We always had change for the telephone box, but we couldn’t be in touch instantly and I think it made us more self reliant and perhaps more mature than the same ages now.

I babysat all through my teens and so did my sisters. We were in regular demand as coming from a big family we were very responsible. There was no mobiles in those days but we could have called our own mom if we had an issue.
I had a lovely girl babysitting my dc for a whole year, every Saturday night when somehow she mentioned it was her birthday that week. I thought 16 only to discover she was turning 15 so had been only 14 all the time. She was marvellous and the children adored her. I think, sometimes, teens become more selfish at 16 and often have their own hectic social life going on so 14/ 15 is fine as long as parents are not gone far.

Totally normal , I babysat from 14 onwards, often over night for 4 kids(!)

I left ds with 14 year old too. He adored her and she could ring me if there was a problem.

At 14 I would have reacted the same to those events as I would now at 35. What would you have done differently?

We have an 11 yr old and 12 yr old currently volunteering with younger ones who are absolutely fantastic. Obviously they aren’t left alone but week in week helping with activities for 4 yr olds, getting on with jobs without being asked. Brownie leader says 12 yr old is like having another adult there. Again by 14/15 I’m sure they would be a much better bet as babysitter than a 17 yr old with no experience. Plus they have recent first aid training that lots of people don’t have.

14 is OK if they aren't very far away. I leave my 13yo with my 10yo and go out nearby.

My neighbours dd babysat my 2 at 14 but her mum and dad were just across the road.

I babysat from age 14 but didn’t live far away from the houses so could have called my mum in an emergency. I babysat kids from aged 2 to 7. I wouldn’t ask a 14 year old to babysit my kids though if they were under 5. A few months back we did have a friends son who is 16 and his gf (also 16) to babysit our kids but they were 8 and 11 by then and I think they all just played on the x box together!

Our neighbour/friend's teens babysit for us! Only when we're out locally (walking distance) and only from 6th form age though. They're very sensible kids. We're lucky to know them and tbh they're pretty happy to get £30 for doing their homework on someone else's sofa.

I had my first babysitting job at 12. And at 13, my friend and I babysat her infant niece. I was terrified of SIDS and checked on the baby every 10 mins whilst my friend wanted to watch a horror video tape.

Turns out the infant has kids now.

Extremely normal and not at all something to be bothering yourself about!

I babysat at that age, one family had one boy who was pretty easy but the other had two boys who didn't sleep but I always managed somehow. Even babysat a little baby one new year's eve. Only bad experience was babysitting a boy who was only 2 years younger than me and did not listen to me, too close in age for that to work

My 13 year old will be babysitting her 6 year old little brother later this month while we're at the local music festival, 5pm to gone midnight, she'll have to feed him and put him to bed and I am fully confident in her ability to do that.

Thought it was normal at 14? I babysat my cousins all the time at that age.

I am quite old but did absolutely loads of babysitting from 13 or so and when I had young preschoolers I often had young teens( 13-15) babysitting my DC in the 90s.

I babysat regularly at that age for the house opposite, three boys. I’d do bedtime aswell and their mum often came home very late and very drunk. My parents were always on hand if I were to need anything though I didn’t have a mobile phone back then. I now have two small children of my own and would never dream of leaving them with a young babysitter, even a responsible one. I do think times have changed however, it used to be very common and normal to be babysitting at 14.

Yabu at just a year older than that I regularly baby sat 3 kids at once and the youngest was under 2. I thought nothing of my age then and at 34 now I still think nothing of it.

Yep I did the same at 13. I used to babysit in my estate but to be fair my mum was only four or five hours down the road in an emergency. I used to babysit nearly every Friday and Saturday I was absolutely loaded.😂😂

Houses not hours

Completely normal

When I was 12 I was left in charge of a baby and toddler. I had zero experience of babies. I gave the baby a bottle straight out of the fridge needless to say this didn't go well. I don't know what anyone was thinking. Oh, and the toddler made a break for it. They must be middle aged now. Different times.

I'd say that's absolutely fine. I babysat for 3 complete tearaway boys 6 and under and the parents didn't come home when they said they would! I think they were about 2 hours later than planned and I'd only just got the kids to sleep when they arrive home, late. I can't say I've ever thought too much about it really.

My 14 year old babysits. She is very practical and sensible. Probably more responsible than I am 😜