16 year old babysitter - would you?

[Noomininoo]

I have 2 DDs aged 5.1 & 2.1. DH & I don't go out often but when we do, the only people we have to call upon to babysit is DH parents. This has been fine up til now but I'm starting to feel a bit bad about having to rely on them so much as neither of them are in particularly good health (& they also help out with school holidays etc).

A neighbour of ours has mentioned that her 16yo DD would be interested in babysitting if we were interested. I don't know the family that well but from what I've seen they seem a pretty sensible/decent family. Dad is a trainee Social Worker & Mum fosters full time (usually babies & small children). I see the 16yo out & about & have spoken to her a few times & she seems polite, well mannered & sensible and has a lot of experience with small children (due to the family fostering). She also wants to go to university after her A Levels to study paediatrics & child care.

So my question is, do you think a 16yo (however sensible) is too young to look after 2 small children on her own or am I just being precious about leaving my 'babies' with someone different?

WWYD...?

Sounds perfect

By the time I was 16 I'd been babysitting for 6 years! I used to look after my sister, in fact when I was 14 I had almost complete sole charge of her for a week while my parents moved. I'm still in childcare now- the facts that she has been raised alongside foster children and wants to go into childcare puts her far ahead of say an 18 year old with no childcare experience! Age is just a number.

And I have to, one of the families I babysat for at age 16 was someone in my class at school who had had a baby at age 15!

16 is fine my babysitter is 14 but she's been doing it for me since she was 13.

It depends on the person not on the age.

Your local 16 year old sounds like a good bet. DS is talking about getting nearly 18yo SS to look after 9 and 7 year old DSs for some days in the summer. Knowing (lovely but hopeless) SS, that sends shivers down my spine, and is SOO not going to happen.

My neighbours's eldest has just turned 14 and has offered her services. She is SOO sensible it's not true and her very sensible parents would be seconds away in case of a problem. So i will definiely be taking her up on her offer.

It all depends on the 16 year old.

Yes definitely fine. I met my lovely (now 17 yr old babysitter) when she was doing work experience at the local baby group. She was great with my (then 12 wk old) DD and has been babysitting for me ever since.

As others said it is all about the person... There are some 30 yr olds I wouldn't trust to leave my daughter with!!

Enjoy the time out!!

Yes I would use a 16yr old babysitter. I started babysitting myself aged 14, looking back I was VERY young but was always fine.

We dont get out very much either as I am a night nanny am usually out at work eves & nights, but we have 3 babysitters who we could use if we wanted to go out. Have met & ref checked all 3. One is almost 16 and although for various reasons she hasnt actually babysat for us yet (15yr olds seem to have very active social lives!), I would definitely use her.

Sounds good to me .

Our neighbour has been babysitting DS since she was 14 (with her mum to call on ) and now is a regular at 16. Shes fab with DS and I can't fault her one bit.
It depends on the babysitter and the children. Why don't you have a short trial with her and the kids while you pop to the pub for an hour - see how it goes.

Her parents are next door. If there were any problems she could call then and one would come over.
As others have said, it's about the person. Sounds like she has a good background of experience so get to know her, get her to come round for a bit during the day (pay her) to try playing with your children to see how they all get along.

My 14 year old has recently started looking after after 3 year old twins. She is sensible and knows them very well, and has been looking after them with me since they were babies. They love her and she has more patience with them than I do.