Older sibling looking after younger sibling

[Kinder5]

Would you leave 14DD looking after 7DS for 2 hours during the day? She does now if I need to pop to the local shop, but hasn't for 2 hours before.

If they are both sensible then yes. If the 7 yo had a tendency to be naughty then no.

Thank you. The 7 year old is generally as good as gold!

Why not? I used to babysit babies for cash at 14.

I would happily let my 14yo dd babysit her siblings, however we don't let her babysit her step siblings yet. Not that we don't trust her, but their dm would be difficult about it.

If I let mine have an extra bit of screen time and gave them a snack they probably wouldn't notice I had even gone at those ages.

Yes. It's actually much easier asking a 14 year old to look after a 7 year old than it is a 12 year old - the age gap is sufficient that most 14 year olds ought to be firmly in charge of a 7 year old. It's when they're a little closer in age that it becomes more dependent on personalities and how well you can trust them to get on.

DS is 13 years younger than his next brother up. DSS2 looked after him frequently from around 1 or 2 if DH and I had to go out without him, and my sister (who is 10 years older than DS) took him out when she went out with her mates in her teens. It's fine as long as the 14 year old is sensible and knows what to do in an emergency (DS had to be taken to A&E whilst out with my sister once due to a nosebleed that wouldn't stop - she handled it really maturely for a 15 year old).

In an emergency yes, otherwise no. Hated being the default babysitter as a child so wouldn’t do it myself.

Yes, my 15yr old dd often looks after her younger siblings whilst I pop out for an hour or so. She knows the rules and I always make sure I am contactable if she needs to get hold of me and I'm never more than a 15 min drive away from home.

@mumof5cn

Yes, my 15yr old dd often looks after her younger siblings whilst I pop out for an hour or so. She knows the rules and I always make sure I am contactable if she needs to get hold of me and I'm never more than a 15 min drive away from home.

Also, just wanted to add, dd is happy to do it, I wouldn't have her do it if she wasn't!

Yes definitely. I was babysitting other people's DC when I was 14.

I was the same - paid baby sitting often for long periods by 14