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.

A week is a long time at 15 but she doesn’t need full time care. Could she have a responsible friend to stay with her in the evenings and overnight, or maybe a rota of friends? You could leave them some nice frozen meals or money for takeaways. And ask the friends mum to be on call for any emergencies.

How was he 15 after leaving year 11 (presumably you are talking about working in Y12?)
Had he skipped a year?

I was 15 when I left year 11 too. Got my GCSE results when I was still 15. Very late summer birthday.

Im 67.
So yes guess l am old.

Its only guidelines not the law.
Like baby sitting.

Rubbish. She's a responsible kid and is able to get herself ready for school, there and back and do some shopping and basic cooking/ get a take-away. Like I'm sure most 15-year-olds can.

I would do a combination of sleepovers at friends, if possible, and some nights at home with a babysitter popping in for a couple of hours in the evening for company and some cooking/homework support.

Yes so was my DD but the poster said her child worked full time for a while after year 11 at age 15. So assume (unless a while means the summer holidays which is just what lots of kids do)

You do realise that lots of DC have birthdays after the school year has finished and not all go into Y12?

I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving a 15 year old for this amount of time no matter how capable they seem.

Do you have friends with slightly older dc - in their late teens / early 20s who you could pay to stay overnight and see your dc off to school each day?

If not I think I’d be looking on childcare sites and asking work to cover some of the cost if this is a trip that you really have to go on.

Yes but it very much deviates from the guideline so likely neglect could be considered…

Are you kidding? All of that for maybe a night, fair enough, but to leave them for a week alone you think it’s perfect fine because they ‘seem’
capable?

Where the line drawn? 14? 13? 10? You can get sensible 10 year olds after all!

Some people are really babying their 15-year-olds on here. Bar any ND, I don't see why a 15-year-old can't manage to get themselves to school and get a takeaway or make some basic food. What is it that they can't do at that age with money and a phone?

Some are neglecting them too in the guise of independence

Maybe for a night or two but for a full week? And it doesn’t sound as if @notnowdennis‘s dc has been left by themself before.

Teenagers need and deserve to have support. Things can change quickly at school, with friendships, coursework / tests, with their health (physical and mental) and just because they might be ok, it’s not an assumption that I would be happy to make.

It’s not babying them imo, it’s responsible parenting.

When? If it’s anytime between mid December and end of Jan there could be a uni student home who would happily be paid to stay. Maybe ask on a local Facebook group. Gap year student, current or retired nurse or teacher could also be an option. I’m sure there are lots of people who would be available, suitable and willing.

No, they haven’t been left before overnight. Always been a single night sleepover with a friend or two nights but this is a bigger trip. They can cook, prep for school etc, but do need reminding and help and the trip is early next year, so maybe with some practice we could get there, but I don’t think they are ready. Of course, DC is begging to be allowed to stay home alone!

I think some kids could do it, but not mine. Ideally, I would have one plan for the whole week to make it easier and less disorienting remembering what to pick up to go where etc. I like the week day with one friend and weekend with another suggestion, but I am not sure my friends have capacity - it’s a big ask.it’s really helpful to have all these ideas and examples - thank you

Exactly this!!

This site is like an alternative universe sometimes with the tripe some posers come out with.

I’m not sure what you mean?
The OP said her child at 15 worked full time for a while after year 11. After year 11 comes year 12 (not necessarily in school - just saying year 12 meaning the year that comes after year 11! Whether that’s school college apprenticeship or work etc!
But after the summer of year 11, from the 1st September every child is 16!! So how can they work for a while after year 11 but still be 15? Doesn’t make sense.

It would be a bit hard since SS routinely stick 15year olds in bedsits with the occasional check in. Heartbreaking.

But I wouldn’t leave my 15yr old home alone. Do you have any family who could work remotely from your house? Maybe try advertising on childcare.com but it will be expensive.

Honestly it’s bonkers on here. I swear people do it just to be contrary.
Honestly you could write quite a few good comedy sketches with the posts.
Well at 15 I was working full time with a husband and 4 kids don’t you know.
“oh is that all? At 12 I was running my own business, I had travelled the world at least twice by myself and bought my parents house for them. Kids these days- so molly coddled”

I have had to travel for work and am a lone parent. One time my adult son came home to hold the fort (and found a new respect for what it takes to run a house AND keep another human alive (his words!). The next time DS was able to come with me - it was 1/2 term and I got an Airbnb rather than stay in the conference hotel.
No way would I have left my 15 yo home alone for a week while I was aboard. A couple of nights maybe.

Well the reason I had to go abroad for a week was to do with my teen's pony, so I guess she didn't mind given that I was doing her an enormous favour (she couldn't come with me and miss school as she's in Year 11). She was completely fine for the week. We spoke/Whatsapped several times a day but a 15-year-old is perfectly capable surviving on her own for a week. The only thing my daughter missed was me taxing her around, otherwise she was quite content on her own. Had to pay for a few ubers though.

I think it depends on the 15-year-old. My parents left me for a week when I was 16, because I was a very chilled, largely unsociable, mature teenager. But they’d never have left my sister like that when she was 16 because she would absolutely 100% have had a party and trashed the place or had some sort of drama.

True, but the advice and scenarios can be contradictory regarding SS. One minute you’re reading on here that mothers are told to leave abusive partners or they will potentially remove their children if they can’t keep them from harm.

Then two mins later a post where the mother knows the dads abusive yet she’s been told by courts to let child stay over night etc… It doesn’t make sense and makes a mockery out of the system