I was outside talking to one of my neighbours and her younger daughter is 14 and has her babysitting license and said that if ever I needed a sitter to give them a call. I love her daughter, smart, responsible, sweet, and mature and they live five houses away. But for some reason 14 seems young. Is it?
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I was just thinking that. I was at the library and a teen around 14 posted a babysitting notice. I also think that is too young.
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I would.. if she was responsible and mature. I started babysitting when I was waaaaaaay younger.
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Yeah, if anything I would need someone to just house sit, really, since LO sleeps through the night. I actually might consider it! And my neighbour is a nurse and said that any time her daughter babysits, she makes sure she's at home just in case. I thought that was a nice reassurance.
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@Rubies: in that case I would feel reassured. I don't think I would hire a random 14 year old though.
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@Andrea: Oh yeah, no randoms!
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@Rubies: i think it depends on how long and how old your LO is. lil' cb is almost three, and i think i'd trust a 14 year-old to play with him for an hour or two while i was running errands, etc.
on another note, remember the babysitters club? the "older" girls were 13 and mallory and jessie were 11!!!
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a toddler is easier than a baby. charlie would adore a 14 year old babysitter. in fact our housekeeper brings her kids with her sometimes, and the daughter is 14? I would let her babysit.
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@Mrs. Cowgirl: I know! I was TOTALLY just thinking about the BSC! Hhahahaha! We "played" BSC during recess in school and I was Mary Anne.
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@Rubies: they didn't make you be claudia?!
hahaha...jessie was my fave. mostly because she was a ballerina. actually, i loved staci, too!
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@Mrs. Cowgirl: oh crap, where they really that young? I thought Claudia was so cool cuz she was Asian ... an Asian in a book, what?
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@Mrs. Cowgirl: I WANTED to be Mary Anne because she was quiet and shy and got the hot boyfriend, Logan!
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@Mrs. Bee: Would you let her babysit Olive for a few hours?
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@Rubies: oh yeah!! Man, those books were da bomb.
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@Andrea: i know, right? so groundbreaking in the 80s!
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@Rubies: yah i would if olive just woke up from a nap and i fed her. olive is not a bottle fan. i wouldn't have her put olive down for a nap probably, not that it's hard. i think olive would go down for anyone because she let's anyone hold her.
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@Mrs. Bee: Olive is so sweet. LO is picky, I think, about who can put her down.
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Loved BSC!!
I babysat younger than that, but I don't think I'd have a babysitter that young for my own kids. Maybe if she was someone I knew, like a family member & I needed someone to sit there while a LO was asleep or as a mother's helper to play with them while I was around but occupied doing something else.
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I know I started baby sitting at 12 years old. Babies and all. Of course I had a much (8 years) younger brother who I raised. But 14 still seems really young.
I do have a 14 year old who watches him sometimes. She is our daycares daughter. She also has a much younger brother and so far has been really good. I know her mom would come at a moments notice if needed. And often, she brings her cousin who is also 14 (so 2 for 1).
She has even successfully gotten him down for a nap (something I fail at often). And does cloth diapers with him. But 14 is still really young.
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We know a couple of girls in the 13-14 age range that we would let watch our daughter. Probably wouldn't do it for very long at any given time, make sure I can easily come home if needed, and plan it during naptime. I definitely wouldn't have her bathe the baby or anything like that and once she's eating something other than milk I would make sure to leave something already prepared to make sure she didn't unintentionally give her something unsafe to eat.
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I started babysitting around age 12, but I also had younger siblings that I helped take care of. I have hired a 14-year-old sitter (with a babysitting license...yeah, I never had one of those!!), but only for times after LO was already in bed. Now that LO is a little older, I'd probably be okay with a 14-yr-old sitter for a couple hours during the day, but not all day.
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Depends on the kid, but she sounds responsible! I probably would. I started babysitting neighborhood kids around 12...maybe even younger. When I was at my hometown wedding shower back in June, several of them were there and it was such a surprise! One was on the way to her own wedding shower!
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I wouldn't say just ANY 14 year old but definitely some. Our really good friends, whom I've also nannied for have a 14 year old and she babysits her siblings all the time. She is the oldest of 5 children! The younger ones are 8,5,4, and 1. She does great with them and I would trust her with my baby for sure!
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If I trusted them I would. I started babysitting at age 10 and I absolutely loved it!
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I started babysitting around 11 or 12; my first families were a 3 year old girl/1 year old boy, and an 8 week old baby. Until I was 13 or 14, I always babysat at my house, co my mom could direct me/help out when I needed it (although she made it very clear that I was responsible for the kids and I still did all of the care; but she was there if I needed her).
Our daycare has a couple high school girls who come in the afternoons to help out/get experience. We asked one of the girls (she was 16 at the time) to stay with DD while she slept one evening while we went out; she has lots of experience, and DD knows her, so we felt comfortable with her in that situation. Otherwise, our best friend's daughter loves DD and plays really well with her; I've already told them that when she turns 11, I'd love to have her over to "babysit" the kids while I get things done around the house. It'll give her some experience and let her earn her own money, but I would still be there to help direct her/help out when needed.
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I would let a 14 y/o babysit my toddler but not my infant or small baby.
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@Mrs. Cowgirl: Ohhh, I loved BSC! I had all their books!
I started babysitting when I was around 12 or 13. I'd watch my neighbors 4 year old. She was already in bed when I came over, so I didn't really have to do anything.
But would I let a 14 year old watch Baby Jumper? Heck no. 14 is too young, IMO, and if there was a true emergency I'm not sure if the babysitter would be emotionally mature enough to handle a problem.
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I started babysitting younger than that so the age doesn’t bother me but I think it would depend on the 14 year old. This one sounds really responsible so I think I’d be okay with it!
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I started babysitting around 12, so I would let a 14 year old babysit. Maybe not a newborn baby, but if the kid was sleeping through the night or they were a toddler, I'd definitely let a 14 year old babysit.
BUT I probably wouldn't hire a random 14 year old. If I knew their parents or knew them for some reason, then I'd be comfortable with it. A stranger, not so much.
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I started babysitting for my neighbors when I was about 12, but my mom was always home, and the kids' mom knew it - she told me when I was older (I babysat for them until I graduated HS) that knowing my mom was home was the only reason she let me babysit when I was so young.
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I started babysitting at 11 years old! My first family I babysat for had a 3 year old and I remember it being so fun! I started out babysitting while the family had friends over downstairs, then when I turned 12 I was allowed to stay with him alone. But it was usually 3-5 hours. By the time they had another child, I was 13-14 and they trusted me with her as an infant, but then again I'd been babysitting for them for 2-3 years at that point.
I would allow a young teen to babysit once my son is out of his first year. For his first year, I'd think 16+ and only then VERY mature, responsible etc. I would probably do a "test run" first as well - like while I clean/cook/work in the house, allow them to watch them so that I can kind of observe as well.
I think that especially since your neighbor said she stays home while her daughter babysits, I would definitely give it a go! She sounds like a mature 14yo.
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Depends how old my LO is...if they're under 6 or 7, then no way. But if I have an 7yr old, and I need someone to hang out with him or her for a few hours at my house, I would probably let a responible 14 yr old do it.
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I would if I trusted her, although probably not for kids under 3. I started babysitting at 12 for 3 kids, the youngest being 2. I was able to handle it but I was probably too young to handle that kind of responsibility.
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In that specific case I would because I know that the mom is right there if there's an emergency. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't feel comfortable having a 14 year old babysit an infant. I babysat when I was that young... but my mom always made sure to stay on call too : )
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It would depend on the girl. Our friends daughter is the "baby whisperer" the girl is 15 and is amazing with babies, and everyone in our group with little ones fights over her. I know a few girls in the 14-16 age range who are great kids, and who I would trust with the responsibility. I wouldn't trust anyone who I didn't know well with my child of any age though.
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If I knew her and thought she was mature enough, I totally would. But then again I had my first baby when I was 15 so I know it is possible for a 14 y.o. to be mature enough to handle it.
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Not right now since my LO is only 12 weeks old. If my LO was 4 or 5 years old then yes I might consider letting a 14 year old watch her.
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I started babysitting at 11, so I would definitely think that the 14 year old you described would be fine babysitting.
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I have but under similar circumstances, knew the family really well and the girl was very responsible.
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DH's best friend has a 14 year old daughter that I would let babysit DS (he is 3). When LO is born I would probably let her babysit when LO was a year old or so. On the other hand I would not allow my 15 year old or 13 year old children babysit DS or LO on the way. They are both WAY to immature to handle that. They actually still require a babysitter of there own when we go out for dates. All kids mature at different times so it would all really depend on the maturity of the teenager. I babysat at 11 but I helped raise my younger adopted siblings and had alot of experience with babies and young children.
hahaha...jessie was my fave. mostly because she was a ballerina. actually, i loved staci, too!
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41 comments