My husband & I are due to go out for a few hours for the first time in years. My sister was going to have the younger 2 boys at hers but they'd have to sleep over (she didn't want to come to ours to babysit as she likes to have a couple of glasses of wine so wouldn't be able to drive home). I felt uncomfortable at the idea of them stopping there anyway if she was going to be drinking and then my youngest told me he really didn't want to sleep over there. Staying up til we get home is not an option as it's a school night due to when we could get the tickets. We will be an hour away, so probably out of the house for 4 hours.
Our boys are 14, 11 and 7 (youngest 2 are 2 months off their birthdays). The eldest is in school year 10 and is very responsible/mature for his age. Although he still makes mistakes the same as everyone does of course!
The youngest dotes on his big brother and has asked if he could babysit him. I spoke to each of them individually and all 3 are more than happy to stay at home just the 3 of them for the evening. The youngest has said he will do everything he's told (and he will I know that) and we will feed them before we leave. The middle son may not go to bed on time but that's not the end of the world - it's the youngest really that needs to be in bed on time.
Our neighbour 3 houses away has told me she's more than happy to be there if the kids need anything so there is an adult available in the event of a problem or emergency and all 3 kids are happy and comfortable going to get. Her husband works away, so she can't come round to babysit due to her own children.
I know I'll be spending the whole evening worrying & checking my phone - but part of me thinks it would be good to give my eldest a little more responsibility and I intend to pay him for it as a surprise after we get home as he's not expecting anything in return for it.
Do you think this situation would be ok - or do you think I should try to find someone who can come to ours? We are broke right now (tickets bought months ago as a birthday present to me before things got really bad) so not having to pay out a fortune for someone to come in when I think my son is capable of babysitting makes more sense to me. I know I was babysitting other people's kids at his age too.
Thanks in advance - I'm asking now to give us time to plan something else if needs be! My husband messed it up by getting tickets too late and missing the venue 15 mins away and on a Friday night and deciding to book without checking with me first the other venue, which I'd have said no to on a midweek night as I have health issues that will mean I will struggle to get up for work after a late night! Men eh?!