Week long childcare for a teen?

[notnowdennis]

I have to go away overseas for a week for work. I have a fifteen year old, plus a dog a two cats. I have no family who can help and no idea how to organise care for my child for the week. Would be amazing to find someone who can be there in the evenings, make dinner, supervise homework and stay overnight, but not sure where to start to find someone. Child can sort the animals out and I have a dog walker during the daytime.

does support like this exist? Any ideas on costs and where to look. Most of the sites I have found seem more aimed at younger children who need lots of care and cost £150-250 a night which is way out of any budget I could manage for 7 days.

Ask a neighbour?

I’d be seeing if they could stay at a friend’s for a week then sort animals separately.

Temporary nanny
Try korakids.

Is the child ND or anything? At 15 l personally think they could be left alone. I had to leave my eldest daughter age 15 to look after my youngest daughter at age 9 when l had to have an operation. She was more than capable ( we also had 3 cats).She had been taught to cook and put the washer on .. to tidy and clean .. she was capable of shopping.. .. are they scared of being on their own? I was working full time at 15 as were my sisters.

Are you very old? How were you working full time at 15? 16 years has been compulsory school age for 53+ years!
Times have changed somewhat. I wouldn’t leave my 16 year old for a week- not that they wouldn’t survive, they would just be incredibly lonely and worried at night.

My daughter could easily have been left at 15. She wouldn’t have loved it but she would have been safe and organised and coped just fine.

My son definitely not. He would have absolutely loved it but the house would look like he’d been battling poltergeists for a week.

Agree. I had to leave my 15-year-old alone for a week. She was fine. She got herself to school and back and sorted her own food shop. Called an uber when needed. I spoke to her every day and she texted/called if she needed something.

I would find 15 a bit unfair to expect them to look after themselves and animals for a week. What time of ear are you going? Is it soon/sudden? Or can you plan?

I feel like it's a lot to put on a teen - even if they are competent. And at a time when there's a lot going on developmentally, socially and educationally.. Id be asking my DCs friends parents if they could stay with them maybe a couple of nights across 2/3 friends if you can't find any childcare. Arrange care for the pets separately and then DC could stay at home a couple of nights alone if they're comfortable. But then with points where they'll be looked after with a family.

Pretty sure social services would have had something to say if they discovered you’d left a 15 year old alone for a week. That’s not normal. Even the guidelines don’t recommend leaving a child under 16 alone over night, never mind 7!!

Good idea to ask DC to check if they can sleepover with a friend for a couple of nights. Ask a few friends. I willingly have allowed my DC friends to stay for a week if their parent had to be working away.

Do you not have a friend who would stay at yours for the week ?

What you're looking for really is a temporary nanny. Post what you need on local Facebook childcare pages/nanny pages. I'm sure there will be someone who can help you.

If you explain the situation they will probably do it for significantly less that £250 a night. It would work well for lots of nannies because they can do it around their normal day job e.g. 6:30pm-7:30am.

Can't they come with you??

At 15 I would have been mortified to have a nanny.

Is her dad around? Can she go to his for a week?

If not do you/does she have local friends who could give her dinner and then she goes back home afterward? That would ensure she’s got regular social contact and a hot meal, and some adults keeping an eye on her.

Is this in term time? I think that makes it better as she’ll be in routine and spending most of the day in school.

Ask around for a local nursery worker? They are low paid and might be happy to do it for a bit of extra cash. They're dbs checked and will be working hours that should fit around what you need. Also tend to be youngish so your dd might get on well with them.

But at 15 I'd more expect them to cope by organising sleepovers and the odd day at home alone.

Thanks everyone. Yes, I am worried about them being lonely, or encountering something they panic with/ an emergency.

it’s term time, so yes, weekday routines will keep things even and they can cook/ prep for the next day, but it does feel a lot to put on them.

i will ask friends for sleepovers - a good idea. A local call out for a temporary nanny might work and is worth trying too - thank you.

DC2 left school at the end of Y11 and worked full-time at age 15 for a while. It may be the law but if the Police don’t come out for burglaries, they aren’t going to bother with a 15 year old working and paying tax.

My DD would take this kind of job she is an MT professional who between jobs teaches after school dance and singing and baby sits. So has an enhanced DBS and first aid training.
She would love to be paid to be a ‘big sister’ for a week.

Ask if they can stay with a friend for a week and get a pet sitter. Or ask a family member, friend, parent of their friend to pop in and check on them. Or really I’d just ask them how comfortable they are staying on their own. To me, it sounds like a great experience in independence.

I was doing several days on my own while my mum did work trips from 12. It was fine. This was in pre-mobile phone days and I had no way to reach her even if there was an emergency. She called once a day just to check I was alive and the house hadn’t burned down. Otherwise, I did all my own cooking, washing up, washing clothes, took care of the dog, walked myself like 2 miles to school. It was fine.

Not sure of support but our school now requires notification if you're leaving a pupil home alone overnight. Even up to sixth form. I'm guessing there has been an incident as they sent an email earlier in the term requiring this reporting.

Do you have any friends with older children in their early twenties, maybe a bit of extra money for the house/child/cat sitting for a week might appeal.

Totally off topic (sorry OP!), but I had a friend who worked FT through most of secondary school as well. She worked in like a late night takeaway sort of place. Finished school at 3 and went straight to work at 4 and worked til 11pm, not every single day but many, plus a bit on the weekends.

We were in private school and her family was not well off. I think it was simply the expectation that if she wanted a good education, she would help fund it and keep the family going. She was incredibly smart and a bloody hard worker. FT working and going to school and she was still one of the top students. Got into a really good uni in a very competitive course and is a neurosurgeon now!

I think I'd see if i could find someone to stay with them on school nights.
And have a sleepover for the weekend nights.
I guess it might also depend on the child are they a young just turned 15 or are they an older near 16?

If you are getting back on the Saturday or Sunday I'd consider letting them stay alone that one night.

Just saw that. And its made me realise Op if something goes wrong, she gets hurt needed hospital care or is sick at school who would collect her?

Do you have a friend who'd be able to help?

I would 100% look after someone’s child for a week. Even if they weren’t that close to my own child, if the other option was them was to be alone for a week or with a stranger popping in of an evening. I’m sure your child has friends whose parents would feel the same way.