DD wants to Babysit

[missingtheaction]

Advice please.

Within 100 yards of us we have quite a few families with young children, and DD 16 would like to offer herself as an occasional babysitter. She is sensible, non-smoker etc; also has first aid training from school; also my DP is paramedic so help at hand! She would stay within range of being able to walk home afterwards.

On the other hand she has very little experience with small children so would not be OK with putting them to bed. Very much in the make-sure-house-not-burning-down vein of babysitting to start with.

Neighbours have expressed interest.

What's the going rate? We are in Surrey.

would your neighbours let her borrow there toddlers over half term in the day time when you or they could be around to teach her routines for feeding,changing saftey etc, and then she could start babysitting after half term ?

We are in Hampshire, and I pay our teenage babysitters £4 an hour if the kids are asleep (£5 an hour if the kids are awake)! I wouldn't ask a teenager to put them to bed, but generally ask them either to come after the kids are in bed, or sometimes to come and sit with them after dinner until DH gets home (if I want to go to a concert or theatre etc, and need to leave home about 5.30).

MY DS1 is much sought after as a babysitter but can rarely do it unfortuantely.
But we had DD when he was 10 and he has always 'helped' with DS2 who has SN, so he is very experienced being around young ones.

I would let her babysit on nights when I was available in case anything came up until she was a bit more confident ( and you are a bit more confident). If you are at the end of the phone and able to whip around there if she needs something then she would be fine.

another place to get experience if she is at a school or college where they have a nursery for the staffs kids. she could get some work experience there in a supervised setting before or after school.

My DC get £5 an hour. We are in Kent.Just be honest with the neighbours and let her begin with a couple of hours if they are asleep! I have always been available in case of a crisis when my DC were 'newbies' at babysitting. If they were babysitting a new family they always met the children first so if they woke up they would know who they were IYSWIM. Apart from that, if you could get your DD to gain confidence by offering her services for a couple of hours during the day during halfterm to get used to young children and they to her that would be a good move.
I also went through the babysitting 'etiquette' with mine. ie don't eat all the biscuits, don't use the internet, lock all the doors, don't fall asleep etc etc etc.
HTH