Becoming a mother's help???

[Mothershelper]

Hi :)
As I'm too young to babysit, I'm thinking of becoming a mother's help next summer. (When I'll be 13 and a half)
For those of you that don't know what I mean, the type of mother's helper I'm talking about is like a babysitter- exept a parent or adult is still in the house. EG: If a mum worked from home and couldn't take care of her kids at the same time she could employ a mother's helper who would entertain and care for the kids and do some light cooking and cleaning while she worked. I wouldn't look after babies just yet but aged 3 and over would be fine.

I'm planning on taking a first aid course and practising caring for my 3 and half year old cousin.

I want to know your opinion on this- Would you be happy for a sensible 13 year old to look after your children for a few hours a week while you were very nearby/still in the house? Or do you think it would be too risky?

My personal opinion is that you are little bit too young - maybe wait until the next summer holidays when you will be 14½. It's not that I think it would be risky, but that I don't think you would find many people prepared to pay someone so young to do this. It's worth asking around close friends and neighbours - so people you know already - if they need a bit of help and pick up some experience of different ages to your cousin ready for the following year.

Good luck

my 14 year old has been looking after friends children age 5 and 3 in exchange for horse riding but I am only over the road and we know the family very well.
I would suggest you get to know several families near to you, go and play with the children and be helpful and then next year as they would know you well you could offer to babysit.
She also does a paper round and washes up in the local pub.
Good for you for thinking ahead and having the right attitude to working will go along way. good luck.

Not on a permanent basis but I am borrowing a friend's teen to look after DS (3 m

Not on a permanent basis but I am borrowing a friend's teen to look after DS (3 months) while we move house, just to play with him or push him round the residence (we live in a gated complex) in his pram so pretty closely supervised and I'm instantly available. The thing is that I know her, she has 4 younger siblings and she plays with him while I'm having coffee with her mother so I'm confident in her abilities.

Have you looked at helping with Beavers, Rainbows, Cubs, Brownies any sort of young youth group. Would help if you were a member of an older part of the group, but by helping with the younger ones you will get known by local parents as being someone who is good with young children. You would be a volunteer but it all helps you gain experience and perhaps some training courses.

I seem to recall that before age 13, I did 'care' for some local children whilst their parents were around at home. I lived in a quiet street and all the children played out in the street quite a lot, so I would get to know the children and thus if a parent of a child over the road wanted someone to keep an eye on their child/children whilst they got on with other things, I would be asked to do so. I also remember going on outings with a family from over the road, they had two young children probably about 3 and 6 at the time, so I accompanied them with one of their parents on a trip out. It was a free outing for me and kept me occupied and I was an extra pair of hands to help keep the children safe. I don't recall a lot, it was well over 20 years ago.

I was a mother's help at 15. I worked every weekend, mainly looking after the toddler but I did also help with preparing meals. I was given much responsibility in looking after the little boy - I was his main carer for the day - but I did also help with his two elder siblings with special needs.

I would agree with other poster's about volunteering at Rainbows etc and spend time with your neighbours or friends of family as these will be the likeliest to be willing to give you work.

Doing a first aid course will go along way to showing determination, maturity and practicality in my books. Would be a big tick towards choosing you.