When to leave sibling with sibling?

[Fullon123]

Hi
I've a nearly 15 year old and a nearly 9 year old. Just wondering but when would you start to trust an elder sibling to look after a younger one? 15 year old is very independent. Stays at home alone all the time in the day, gets bus to school, has own key. Makes himself food etc. Goes out with friends a lot and gets himself places etc.
9 year old also fairly sensible. Can entertain himself all day gaming if given the chance.
But he hates any holiday club, hates staying at nans in holidays when we work etc. He'd be much happier at home with his brother. I'm not thinking just yet, and we going to start building up small times where we leave them (did it for the first time last week for half an hour and they were fine).
But when on average did or do people stop sorting childcare for younger ones when there is an older sibling to watch them? Wouldn't be often, im talking a day or two each school holiday. Fully expecting older teen to want a financial reward for doing so lol which I'd be fine with. I just don't know when to actually start doing so. Any thoughts? Thanks.

At 15 I would as long as he is happy to do it. I used to babysit multiple children at that age during school holidays etc and they weren’t related to me. I would probably pay him too.

We have been leaving 14 year old and younger siblings (12 and 9) for short periods for a few months now, Usually an hour or so, once was about 2 hours.

I think 15 with independent 9 year old would be fine.

Are you meaning all day or just short periods?

It would be very unfair to expect the older one to care for the younger one all day everyday in school holidays. However a couple of hours on the evening would be OK if 15yo didn't mind. (Especially if paid!)

In your situation I would have started years ago. I have left my 13, 10 year old and 8 year olds for a couple of hours and when DSD was 14/15 she was babysitting other peoples toddlers over night for money.

OP said a day or two each holidays.
I can’t see how would it would be unfair, especially if being paid. A 9 year old wont actually need any care from their sibling during the day.

I would think 15 would be fine to look after younger sibling, but I wouldn’t put that on him in the school holidays. As you say x he likes to go out with friends and do his own thing, it would be unfair to tie him down to look after his younger brother unless you agree one or two days and maybe pay him for it. Short time, a couple of hours or an evening occasionally would be fine though.

Sorry meant to say, I'm meaning a full working day while we are at work. Starting to build up slowly now by nipping to the shop for 20 mins etc and not taking younger one with me etc but I'm specifically meaning for a full day.
And it wouldn't be all day everyday in holidays. I only work three days and one day is a wfh day. And I take as much leave as I can in holidays. It would be for the odd day per school holiday that we just can't cover with annual leave so end up either using grandparents or booking holiday clubs which the youngest hates now that older one doesn't go and he has to go on his own.

Thanks for replies so far. Most seam to think would be ok but a few think it would be unfair. Just to clarify it wouldn't be everyday. Just the odd day here and there and I would definitely pay older sibling as he is very motivated by money! I only work three days and one is a wfh day, and then use annual leave a lot to cover holidays but it doesn't quite stretch to cover all of it.

Odd day would be fine if 15yo is happy.

(I run a club for Primary aged children...its not uncommon for teenage siblings to pick them and drop them off)

I think one day a week in the holidays would be fine

I think that's fine, they'll all be just a little bit older again by the summer too.

I wouldn't leave a 14yo and 8yo home alone together, I think that's unfair on the 14yo to be responsible. Worst case scenario what if there was a house fire, I think that's too much responsibility. Do you trust the 14yo to safely cook lunch without any supervision?

I waited till my youngest was 11 before I left all the kids home alone.

How do they get on with each other?

I know siblings this would work for and ones it really wouldn’t. Completely depends on the dynamics between them,

If there was a fire they would open the door, leave the house and ring 999 in the same way I would. They would also go to our adjoining neighbour so she could leave her home too, Presumably the OP has smoke detectors and both dc will be awake as it is day time.
My 14 year is also perfectly capable of making lunch be it a sandwich and a bag of crisps or something simple like beans on toast, noodles or whatever. I find it most unusual that an NT 14 yea told wasn’t able to do those things! Even my 9 year old can do the basics liek making his own toast/ a cup of tea etc.

I would do this now and my kids are 12/8. I don’t have to as we wfh every day between us but I would do it if there was a reason.

my daughter walked my son to school for a year and I paid them both - £2/week for her for being responsible and £1/week to him for listening. Intend the same setup when she starts babysitting him this summer

I’ve only just started leaving my 10 year old with in my 14 year old (both have birthdays in a couple of months) & only for an 60-90 mins at a time.

i was about 12 when i was left watching my 6 year old sister regularly and i hated it! I did paid babysitting from 15

Like some others I do not think it is fair to give this responsibility to your young teenage son. Have you even asked him?
As you say yourself he goes out with friends alot, I may be wrong in assuming not in the week after school what with homework but mainly at weekends and in the holidays.

I have a 15year old son myself. I work mornings and normally my 21year old daughter would be doing the school run for the two younger kids who are 11 and 9. Now my daughter has dropped it on me that she will no longer do my younger kids school runs. I have now asked my 15year old if he would take the kids to breakfast club on his way to school. The breakfast club is a 5minute walk from the house so he won't be late for school doing so and it is only a couple of times a month that I need the school run doing as the rest of my work pattern is afternoons and childcare is ok for those shifts. He's pretty mature and can be trusted otherwise I wouldn't have asked him

During the day I would say 13 also some 9 year olds would be fine for short periods alone.

Unfortunately fires aren't as well behaved as you seem to think and most people try and fight a fire for longer than is sensible (and a teenager would be even more likely to do this than an adult). It takes shockingly little time for a fire to spread.

Young teenagers might be able to cook a meal but do they know the right thing to do if a pan of boiling water is accidentally spilt over their little brother and will they remember to turn off the oven and hob when they finish cooking. It's the ability of a child to cope when things go wrong that's the issue, not if they are capable of cooking a meal.