Are Tweens Really Ready to Babysit?

I started babysitting when I had just turned 13 years old...and from today's standards those parents I babysat for should have been charged with abuse..not of their kids but of me. Here are just some of the things they had me doing..watching 3 to 5 kids at a time...one was an infant. Staying in their houses until 2 - 3 am. Washing their dishes, making their beds..taking abuse from their horrible bratty kids...and all of that for $1.00 an hour and a $2.00 tip. They knew I was reliable and they took advantage. If I hadn't needed them money so badly I would have quit, but my mom and I needed the money..she was a single mom. My advise to parents allowing their kids to babysit at a young age is to meet the people they are babysitting for. Go over to their homes if you have concerns and if you feel your kid is being taken advantage of, try to help them to realize that, quit and find a nice home to work in. As an adult, sometimes, I feel like going back to visit those homes and tell those adults off for how they treated me..but they'd probably have no idea what I was talking about. It works both ways.

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I think it would also depend on the age of the child they were looking after, what I was doing while they were babysitting, and the sitter and child themselves. Am I just running to the grocery store and the post office? Chatting with a neighbor for coffee? Is the child 3 months old or five years old? Those kinds of things. Is the child genuninely mature for their age, responsible, and has a back up nearby for an emergency till I can get there? Like their mother is across the street kind of thing. Is the child rambunctious or quiet, adventurous or timid. Its about common sense really. A child that young can babysit my toddlers if I am nearby, they can easily get a hold of me, there's few dangers around (like pools, and ponds) and they aren't expected to do too much (like bath time and meals). The agenda for the evening includes a snack and a movie and bedtime. And its less than a two hour time span. More of a pseudo babysitting situation till everyone knows how they can handle the stress a child can pose and they gain a few years of maturity and experience.

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However, I am also a firm believer that the children in this country are being encouraged to be children until age 25. A 13 year old can be either an infant or a young adult depending on how they are raised. My husband and I are training our 15 and 11 year old to be young adults and NOT TWEENS or TEENAGERS. Such a huge difference.

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Am I think only one that is bothered by the poll?

The choice "Yes, if I know her and trust her." infers that only girls can be babysitters. This is definately not true, as I used to babysit a lot when I was younger. Whoever wrote this should have a more open mind and stay away from stereotypes. People would be throwing a fit if the writer used the pronoun "him" to refer to a doctor. Even though the two jobs are different, the sexism still exists and I am suprised that the writer and editor got away with this.

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My mother was pretty hardcore about making sure I was fully prepared to babysit before letting neighbors know I could. She had me take the Red Cross babysitter course and get certified in CPR, she gave me a list of emergency phone numbers to take with me whenever I babysat, and I only babysat for people that she knew.

When I was 11, I started out by looking after my neighbor's 3 year old daughter and 6 year old son while she was still at home. It was basically so she could get things done and have some peace of mind knowing the kids were being looked after, and she was right there if I ever needed any help. This same neighbor started letting me watch her kids as she briefly went out to run some errands once I got to know her and the kids better.

I didn't start babysitting for multiple people until I was 13, though, and even then it was almost always in the neighborhood or for church family's kids. The most kids I ever watched at once were 4, but the youngest was 6, so it wasn't that bad. I also knew them all; they were our across the street neighbors.

Most of the time I only watched 1-3 kids, though. I think that's an acceptable number as long as there are no infants. If you have kids that are not infants but also have an infant, you might want to consider letting 2 friends handle the babysitting job together. It's a lot of work to look after an infant, and with other little ones running around, you're putting all of your children at risk only using one sitter, especially if he/she is only a tween.

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LOL, and let me add what else they know! They know where your porn is, they know where your weed is (IF you have any...and most of you do) they know where you hide your money and aren't afraid to help themselves to a few extra dollars from time to time, they know all your internet passwords and how to hide where they've gone while online so you have no clue what they've been looking at (they're much savvier than you'll ever be at using your technology), they know where all the 'nanny cams' are, they know how to pick the lock on the liquor cabinet (if there is one), they know where the chocolate is, and they know how to bribe your toddler into keeping quiet about their boyfriends coming over the whole time you're gone and jumping out the window when your car comes into the driveway.

How do I know this? I was a babysitter, and my daughter was too, and there isn't anything I haven't heard. Want your kid safe? Leave them with your mother, sister, mother-in-law, or an ADULT you can trust. If you can't do that, take em with you!!!!!

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I went back to teaching when my son was around a year old. I used my 7th & 8th graders as babysitters, both boys and girls. I was never at a loss for sitters as the kids all wanted to sit for me and I had a rotating waiting list. I never had a problem with these kids as I knew they were responsible from their behavior in class, It didn't matter if they were A or C students as an A student can be more hair-brained than a C and wouldn't be put on the list. When we moved to another city and I stopped working, I had a wonderful 14-year old boy to babysit who came from a large family. The only mistake I ever made with a sitter was when my son was 10 but I didn't find out about it until years later. She was an 8th grader at my son's Catholic school. When he was a young adult, I asked him what his 1st sexual experience was and learned the girl was doing more than babysitting. I was dumbfounded. Too bad they didn't have nanny cams back then. Kids can be very responsible sitters but whether using a teen, tween or adult to sit, I would recommend the nanny cam.

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When I was a teenager I babysat for this married couple and her husband would drive me home. He started getting very flirtatious with me and I stopped babysitting for them. So parents never let the people your kids are babysitting for drive them home. You need to take them and pick them up. They also could have a few drinks after a late night and could be putting your child in danger.

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perhaps they should take an IQ test as well.

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I started babysitting a 2-year-old and 5-year-old when I was 11 for aboout 3 hours at a time (the mom worked from home). I never had first-aid/CPR/emergency training.

However, I didn't babysit for long periods of time until I was about 14; since I volenteered at his school, my 5-year-old brother's friend's parents called me constantly. Personaly, I'd recommend starting to babysit when you're at least 14 (and after gaining expireance where adults can assist you: i.e. church nursery, after school mentoring, watching siblings).

FREE TIP: Bring your old games and toys instead of the ultimate cop-out...movies! Parents really appreciate this, and the kids are more likely to want you to come again if they have fun.

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Or just let a little nerd kid like I was (am) look after them =/. I would never have dreamed of breaking any rules by letting friends come over, was way too nerdy and socially awkward to have any boyfriends, and never took so much as loose change from anyone's home. I never left the kids unattended, and except to wind down before bed, I even actually played with them instead of plopped them all in front of the TV for the whole time I was there.

They were in bed when the parents said they should be in bed, and I made sure lights were out and stayed out. I read bed time stories, and usually stayed quietly downstairs watching TV or doing homework till the parents came home. I wouldn't even get on the internet just to check my email unless they'd specifically told me I could use the computer.

And I'm not just tooting my own horn -- my friends that babysat all did the same, and almost all of the teens that babysat me when I was little were just as responsible.

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I started babysitting regularly when I was ten, for several different families. Most of the children were between the ages of 3 months and 5 years old, most of them multi-children families. The parents knew they would be well cared for with me. I always arrived half an hour early to go over rules, schedules, emergency contact information and bedtime routines. I knew CPR and various other first aid techniques. I helped with homework and I kept the kids entertained (I had a box full of coloring books, crayons, stickers, kid movies, books, games, toys, flash cards, arts and crafts etc.),bathed, fed and usually in bed by the time the parents came home. I never stole, had friends or boyfriends over, or searched the house for anything I shouldn't have. The kids never left my sight, and I protected them as if they were my own. I also did laundry, vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen if requested. The parents appreciated the extra help and the fact that I made a game of it for the children to teach them how to help around the house too. The children and parents all loved me, and I babysat for the same 5 or 6 families for several years.

Not ALL tweens are irresponsible. I suggest a long interview process for the babysitter, outlining what you expect, and the things that are not allowed. Be cautious of the babysitter who doesn't have any questions for you.

I always asked these questions:
What are the household rules?
How do I work the childproof latches/gates/cribs etc?
Do the children have any allergies or take medication for anything?
Are they on any special diet?
What is the homework/mealtime/bedtime routine?
What are the limits on TV/Video game watching?
Are the children allowed to have friends over? Am I being paid extra to watch their friends?
If the children break house rules, what discipline procedure would you like me to follow?
Where will you be? For how long?
What is your cell phone number? The number/address of your workplace? Is there a trusted neighbor/relative/friend number I can call if I can't get a hold of you?
Where is the first aid kit? Fire extinguisher? Breaker box?

A responsible babysitter will know to ask these kinds of questions in an interview process...maybe not as many as me, but at least the basic ones. They should also be able to give you detailed examples of the types of experience they have had with children/siblings, and be familiar with basic first aid and know how to cook basic (healthy) meals without burning the house down.

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