https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:15:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592702 Tue, 26 Jul 2016 08:46:54 +0000 youboots 2592702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for chiming in. I contacted her Aunt, my friend to see if she wanted to go in halfsies on the training with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592698 Tue, 26 Jul 2016 08:44:12 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2592698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Given that you know her and the family well I would be comfortable with using a HS student to watch an older baby. I can't imagine the training you desire (and she should have) costs that much, so I would pay for it. As long as the park is a safe and easy to walk to I would let her take LO; otherwise, a stroll around the neighborhood and playing in your own yard is sufficient for outdoor time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592584 Tue, 26 Jul 2016 04:43:46 +0000 Andrea 2592584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would offer to pay for classes as this will put your mind at ease. I don't have my sitter leave the house or drive my kids and she's an adult. That just goes beyond my comfort level. We have a backyard so they can play out there with her if I need some space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592265 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 15:11:41 +0000 MrsB2012 2592265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would personally offer to pay for a first aid/cpr class if I was planning on using them often. I would just feel more comfortable knowing they had some training in what to do in an emergency situation. Being moms, I feel like we have a little bit of a built in instinct, but I don't know if 15/16 year olds have that in them at that point. </p> <p>I would allow them to go to a park, but would definitely say something about just making sure they keep a very close eye on the kids and not to get distracted too much with the phone. That being said, we live in a very safe community, so if I lived in a big city or somewhere that I wasn't totally comfortable, I'd prefer they just stayed close by. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592145 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 13:47:01 +0000 maddyz 2592145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I baby sat many children on my own at 15. I was the oldest of 4 and had been careing for children for ever. I always had phone numbers for neighbors as well other emergency contacts. I took at a cpr class through girl scouts but don't really remember how detailed it was.</p> <p>I would happily leave my child with a responsible 15 year old who had good info on how to get help if needed and who was comfortable with the kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592094 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 13:17:15 +0000 lamariniere 2592094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would offer to pay for a first aid/CPR class. After that, I wouldn't expect a teenager to take my kid out, especially since you have a yard, and certainly not drive with LO. If she's in your home, I would be comfortable leaving them for several hours at a time. Start small though, like an hour here and there so that they can kind of get used to one another, and then build up from there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592048 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:27:19 +0000 MrsSRS 2592048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Staying home I'd be comfortable for hours-definitely long enough for a doctor appointment. Maybe not more than a half day or so. I'd be fine with a stroller walk around the block, but prefer them to stay in the yard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2592039 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:19:43 +0000 gilmoregirl 2592039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a sitter who is 15 and my son is 2. I'm comfortable with her staying with him alone for a few hours. We do date nights, appointments, and such with her. There is a park within a few blocks of our house, and I'm fine with them going there. I might have been a little more cautious when my son was 16 months, but alone in our house for several hours would have been fine with me. In my case, her parents are minutes away if something were to happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591982 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:21:58 +0000 youboots 2591982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: yeah. We have a big fenced yard so I think yard time or stroller ride is my comfort leaves. We do live in a safe smallish farming community. I know scary people are anywhere but that is low on my immediate list of worries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591980 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:19:54 +0000 Mrs D 2591980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: 16 mos is young enough that they aren't likely to be too far out of sight...bc she presumably cant run...</p> <p>That video of "how many seconds it takes for someone to kidnap your child" literally terrified me... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591975 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:16:25 +0000 youboots 2591975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MaryM: she charges $8 an hour I thought I would pay her $1 more every year. I plan on rounding up to the nearest $5 and paying her that- so yesterday instead of $32 I paid $35. She's saving up to buy a professional camera and we talked photography a lot yesterday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591973 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:14:14 +0000 youboots 2591973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: I babysat a lot too from a young age. @Mrs D: she's 16 months. Yeah my gut said a walk would be fine as long as she stays in her stroller. No plans on having her drive when she gets her license. </p> <p>If I left I think I would do it outside of meal times, choking is my big fear. I still plan on being the one supervising feeding until she is choking/CPR certified. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591972 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:12:09 +0000 MaryM 2591972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is how my sister and I got started in babysitting. We would sit for my mom's friends while they were still at home just to keep the kids out from underfoot. We got paid, but it wasn't as much as we eventually got when we were left alone. </p> <p>I wouldn't be worried about certification or anything as long as you're still also around. But maybe if that's a worry for you, you can help her sign up for classes and/or pay for part of it? </p> <p>Or maybe work out a plan where you'll pay her a base rate now, but if she gets certified in different areas, you'll increase her pay a certain amount. And then also increase her when you've built the trust to leave her alone with the kids. That might give her an incentive to do it sooner rather than later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591968 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:10:12 +0000 Mrs D 2591968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old is your LO?</p> <p>My biggest fear with trips to the park and teenagers or 20's watching the kids is how distracted they will be by their phones/apps. I am sure you have seen the video of how little time it takes for something to go horribly wrong...this is always my fear.</p> <p>We have several babysitters - all are teachers from our kids daycare. We only allow one of them to drive our kids (she is 40). I would allow the others to take them to the park in our subdivision...but I would not allow them to ride in the car with the others unless it was a rare/emergency situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591967 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:09:10 +0000 Jess1483 2591967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I babysat all the time at that age (I probably sat 4 days a week at that age, for kids ages 2 months and up). I would leave my kids with someone who I felt was comfortable and competent. I usually use my employees, who tend to be college students, but I would use a younger person if I felt they were responsible. If you feel like this might be long-term, I might offer to split the cost of classes with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/babysitter-questions#post-2591963 Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:03:04 +0000 youboots 2591963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've decided it was time to hire a babysitter out of the family. I solo parent a lot DH is gone overnight most weeks 2-4 nights. During the school year she's in daycare 8 hours a week but they run on a school schedule. Well T and I are both sick and I needed someone. A family I know well has a 15 year old daughter who is very mature and responsible. She came for the first time yesterday, it went great. I plan to start using her a evening or two a week so I can get stuff done around the house and work on my photography.</p> <p>A few things. She does not have any training. Like first aid, CPR, babysitter class. She does watch her Aunts kids (a friend of mine) one day a week- under 1 and 2. I see this being a long term arrangement. She said she wants to take classes and is interested in babysitting more. She's a competitive athlete so I expect babysitting will be a good fit for her training schedule through high school. Should I offer to pay for her classes? What would your comfort level be with a babysitter like mine going on a walk/ taking a child to a park (she has a cell phone)? What about leaving them alone and for how long? I'm just not sure what the norm is. I asked my husband and he said she is a sophomore she's responsible, no worries. But I don't think I'd be comfortable leaving for 2 hours for say a dr appt. Thoughts? Guidance? </p>