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I was babysitting for other people's kids at that age, but it seems to me that kids were more responsible then than they are now. I would use a 12 year old under certain conditions. First of all I would want someone that had a fair amount of babysitting under her belt already. I'd want to meet her mom and know that her mom knew she was babysitting for me, and had my phone number. Until I got a better feel of how responsible this girl was, I would not stay gone a real long time for awhile. I would make it clear where I was going and give her my cell number. I know many town have babysitting classes for teens and if one was available I would suggest she go to it. Many people will be more interested in having her babysit if she took that class.
Likely yes, if the 12-year-old had completed the Red Cross babysitting course and it was during the day.
Just a question that I've always been curious about. Why during the day? To me it would seem easier to babysit at night when the kids are mostly asleep. Is it because bedtime is difficult or because of some belief that dangerous things happen at night?
I'm seriously curious. It's kind of like how someone has no problem with their child spending all day at a friends house but is adamantly against sleepovers....I just don't get it.
My youngest is twelve-years-old. At this age, he goes to bed at 9:00, as did his older siblings, so about 8:00 would be my cut-off for a babysitter of the same age. I think young people need to be home and in their own beds before falling asleep. I realize that other families keep different schedules, but this is how it works in my house, and I would extend the same courtesy to a babysitter.
As for sleepovers, I generally didn't allow them. My kids never slept well in other people's homes, even their grandparent's, and their behavior when sleep deprived was awful. It still is even now that their older. (I'm the same way. I need my rest!) So they were welcome to spend all day at a friend's house, but they came home to sleep.
Last edited by randomparent; 02-26-2014 at 11:34 AM..
My youngest is twelve-years-old. At this age, he goes to bed at 9:00, as did his older siblings, so about 8:00 would be my cut-off for a babysitter of the same age. I think young people need to be home and in their own beds before falling asleep. I realize that other families keep different schedules, but this is how it works in my house, and I would extend the same courtesy to a babysitter.
As for sleepovers, I generally didn't allow them. My kids never slept well in other people's homes, even their grandparent's, and their behavior when sleep deprived was awful. It still is even now that their older. (I'm the same way. I need my rest!) So they were welcome to spend all day at a friend's house, but they came home to sleep.
Thanks for your response. I'm not trying to start a debate on sleepovers or anything, I just honestly have always wondered the reasoning and if there was a fear of the boogeyman only coming out at night. Sounds like for you at least that's not how it is.
Thanks for your response. I'm not trying to start a debate on sleepovers or anything, I just honestly have always wondered the reasoning and if there was a fear of the boogeyman only coming out at night. Sounds like for you at least that's not how it is.
You're welcome. I took your question as an honest inquiry, not an invitation to argue. I'm glad you found my explanation helpful.
Just a question that I've always been curious about. Why during the day? To me it would seem easier to babysit at night when the kids are mostly asleep. Is it because bedtime is difficult or because of some belief that dangerous things happen at night?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by randomparent
My youngest is twelve-years-old. At this age, he goes to bed at 9:00, as did his older siblings, so about 8:00 would be my cut-off for a babysitter of the same age. I think young people need to be home and in their own beds before falling asleep. I realize that other families keep different schedules, but this is how it works in my house, and I would extend the same courtesy to a babysitter.
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I believe that most people expect their babysitter to stay awake the entire time that they are babysitting, at least that is true of us and all of our friends (unless it is for overnight). When my husband and I would go to a play, the symphony or some other evening activity like that we normally would not get home until 11 PM at the very earliest . Generally if we went to a wedding we would return as late as midnight or 1 or 2 AM. If would be hard for many (of course not all) young teens to stay awake and alert until that late.
Even if you go out to dinner and a movie most couples return hours later than the typical bedtime for a young teenager. The children may be asleep but the babysitter needs to be alert for any problems or if the children wake up and want a drink of water or some comforting.
Also, when a tween/young teen is babysitting generally the babysitter's parents wait up for her until she returns home safely and are awake and available in case of emergency. Thus if you keep a 12 year old babysitting until midnight or 1 AM that keeps her parents awake until that time, too.
BTW, when some people refer to a very young babysitter sitting "during the day" it actually means babysitting while the parents are still in the house or busy in the yard, home office or garage or perhaps running brief errands. It is a way of "trying out" the maturity and skills of the babysitter to have her act more like a "mother's helper" for the first few times.
Just a question that I've always been curious about. Why during the day? To me it would seem easier to babysit at night when the kids are mostly asleep. Is it because bedtime is difficult or because of some belief that dangerous things happen at night?
I'm seriously curious. It's kind of like how someone has no problem with their child spending all day at a friends house but is adamantly against sleepovers....I just don't get it.
My niece is 12 and babysits within walking distance of her home... she is the oldest with younger siblings at home.
Her Mom was diagnosed with cancer when my niece was 6 and newborn 3 weeks home from the Hospital and a 2 year old... several rounds of chemo, radiation, surgery, etc.
That little 6 year old was amazing and even more so at age 12.
How she was able to just jump in and be a little mother to her siblings was amazing... to this day... even though they are only a few years apart, they still look to her.
Didn't matter if it was crossing the street, brushing teeth, keeping the little ones safe, making sure they had breakfast... etc... she was not asked to do these things... she just did it.
People vary and the situations change... there is no one size fits all.
That said, her Mom is doing OK now... it was touch and go for a couple of years.
Just a question that I've always been curious about. Why during the day? To me it would seem easier to babysit at night when the kids are mostly asleep. Is it because bedtime is difficult or because of some belief that dangerous things happen at night?
I'm seriously curious. It's kind of like how someone has no problem with their child spending all day at a friends house but is adamantly against sleepovers....I just don't get it.
I think it's b/c there's a perception (not necessarily true) that daytime is somehow safer. In reality, lots of people are off at work, and there may be no neighbor home to call. (I usually left a neighbor's number in case the sitter needed help quickly.)
We didn't stay up until our daughter(s) got home from a babysitting job, but we were on a sort of "heightened alert" until they got home.
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