What age would people feel comfortable leaving their teen to watch over their younger sibling?
I have to return to part time work in the next twelve months and have no family or friends close by to help out. Would it be acceptable to have my 15/16 year old watch her younger brother who is 9?
I remember this was acceptable for myself and my siblings when we were younger but I know times and laws have changed
I personally think it would be a good responsibility for my daughter and of course I will pay her some pocket money for helping me out
What age is acceptable for teens to babysit siblings?
What age is acceptable for teens to babysit siblings?
Posted in:
Kids
11 Replies
My kids stay home when I’m at work. They’re 17, 14 and 11. We live rural. Might be different if it was in the middle of a city.
Assuming the 15/16 year old is responsible, I’d do it.
I have kids of similar ages however my 16 year old is NOT responsible and for that reason I would never leave him to watch his brother.
However at 16 my eldest child was incredibly responsible and I would have left her with a 9 year old if needed. Not all day I think that’s to big of a responsibility, but certainly for 2-3hrs if needed.
Depends on how often. If it’s a couple of times a week, no problem. If it’s everyday after school then I think you risk running into resentments etc.
I think that's fine.
Perfectly acceptable if your daughter is responsible and trustworthy. Not every day though as thats unfare on your teenager.
At 15 I used to babysit my 10 year old brother. A lot.
As a result, I'm a pretty firm believer that having teenagers babysit siblings as a here and there sort of thing is fine, anything beyond that isn't a burden they should have to take on. Your 9 year old's care is ultimately your responsibility.
If you're needing something more regular and ongoing, after school programs, vacation care and even family daycare would be a better option.
I don't think it is a long term option to rely on and I think that all the responsibility should not be placed on her throughout the time you are at work.
As in, her 9 year old brother can fend for himself for some things such as getting food (be prepared and leave snacks in a drawer, food to reheat with instructions), entertaining himself etc.
It's a big responsibility and if it is done too often, she may grow some resentment especially if she has to miss out on something in order to look after her brother :)
I think its ok as far as maturity goes but I also don't like seeing teenagers having to babysit siblings all the time. When I met my ex he had younger siblings and his teenage sister was left to babysit all the time to the point where she had no life of her own as she was always babysitting. Even for entire weekends it was really sad. Not saying everyone does it but you do need to be careful you're not expecting too much. I would give set days and times and pay an hourly rate like you would have to for anyone else.
Yes absolutely
No law in nsw in regards to age. As long as the older sibling is responsible nothing wrong with those ages.
I was watching my siblings at 12. They were 9, 6 and 4. Then my parents went on to have 2 more children and I was looking after babies as well as the others at 13 and 15.
If you feel she is responsible enough then I think it is definitely acceptable for a 15/16 to look after her brother. Have a chart with her and see how she feels.
I probably would had allowed it from 13 for short periods