16 year old childminder ?

[twobluskies]

Not my daughter , her friend both 16 . This "new" friend dropped out of school last year but my Dd kept in touch with her .

Last night Dd went to stay over at this girls house . I don't check with parents but I had address .

Today they went out and I picked my Dd up at 5 for an appointment.

Dd told me the girl and my Dd caught the bus into town and walked around . With a 3 year old boy who this friend is paid to childmind !

I know 16 year old is not old enough to register as a childminder , the girl is doing it for cash to help out a single working parent who her mum knows .

I'm uncomfortable with my Dd being part of this . Am I overthinking?

Thoughts and opinions please

When I was 13/14 I looked after a 5/6 year old and 9/10 year old every day after school and in the summer. A 3 year old would have different challenges so it would depend on the maturity of the girl. I don't know if the rules have changed, I certainly wasn't a registered childminder at 13! I hope they are both safe, it could be good for everyone, it really depends on the circumstances.

So your daughters friend was babysitting and brought her young charge into town??

Thankyou for replying
I know it's done and often because a parent has no other choice but not sure I want my daughter involved . Don't know the friend as she wasn't in school for past year .
It just seems a bit risky

I used to care for a child at that age, well one realted to me that is

@Anotherdayanotherdollar
Not a few hours in the house in the evening , Thats babysitting to me .
This was whole day catching buses and walking round town centre .

What the 16yo friend old does in her spare time is up to her and her parents but I would've wanted to know that my own 16yo was going to be in charge of a small child.

@SpringerFall
If it was happening in a safe environment/ home I get it , but not surely shopping in a busy town with two teenagers .

I dont see it any different to the 16 year olds who have their own child, in some areas probably 2 by that age

@BiancaBlue
This exactly .
My Dd said he was a lovely child , but my Dd didn't even meet parents . Just seems that I'm maybe over protective ?

A lot if teenagers are babysitting for family friends and neighbors way younger than this. But this girl is more of a nanny than a babysitter. She is responsible for him all day, presumably making him food and changing him etc.
To be fair some start childcare courses at 16. Some have babies at 16!

I don't think your daughter's presence makes her complicit so I wouldn't worry from that perspective.
I'd expect most 16 year olds to be fully capable of looking forward after a child full time tbh. Plenty have their own at that age. It's not the childcare I'd choose for my own child but it sounds like the 3 year old was supervised, fed and occupied so I don't see a major issue.

@SpringerFall
Big difference , they have parental responsibility, it's their child
My DD is a great kid but I'm not comfortable with her being in town with a child that young

At 16 I was a mother, and a perfectly competent one at that. Most 16 year olds know how to keep a toddler safe, I was babysitting 8-5 min-Fri for a family all summer and school holidays by the time I was 14. This is a non issue for me.

I was a nursery nurse when I left college , I nannied for a while aged 19 . I went to college for 2 years to learn how to look after babies / young children . Definitely would not have met a mate and walked round home with a young child when aged 16

Meant to say walk round town

Would it seem different if it was her little brother twobluskies? I understand your concern, but that level of responsibility tends to focus the mind a little, she's hopefully doing a great job.

I babysat overnight/whole weekends for 2 kids when I was 14 /15 and moved out of the family home at 16. 16 Yr old now a days are very young, just many look older! It's a completely different generation and way of living (I'm in my early 40s)