Should I start her at home?
Leave her with all the kiddos?
Let her go outside the home?
Or leave it alone for the time being?
What was your experience????
First, I would check your state and county laws for legal age limit to leave a child home alone.
Secondly if she is of legal age, then I would try her watching her siblings while you ran to the store for a half hour or so a few times. Then try a date night with hubby while she babysits.
Once she feels comfortable being alone with 2-3 kids at the same time, then maybe expand to family or close friends for her to babysit.
But the big question is... Is she ready and willing to be a babysitter?
I agree with this.
Quoting kmrtigger:First, I would check your state and county laws for legal age limit to leave a child home alone.
Secondly if she is of legal age, then I would try her watching her siblings while you ran to the store for a half hour or so a few times. Then try a date night with hubby while she babysits.
Once she feels comfortable being alone with 2-3 kids at the same time, then maybe expand to family or close friends for her to babysit.
But the big question is... Is she ready and willing to be a babysitter?
I have an 11 year old DD who is very mature for her age, but I would never leave her to care for my other children, not yet anyway....reason being, if anything happened she would never get over it, and I would never leave that kind of responsibility on her, atleast not at this age. As for working outside the home, same goes for that, it's not so much that I don't think she can handle it, but accidents happen, and I just feel like 11 is a little young to be left to make "adult" type decisions if need be. I say leave it alone for now, and let her be a kid.
I would start her off at home then once she is comfortable talk to.some friends and family. But I would not let her babysit for a stranger until she is much older.
My oldest is only 9 but I've done things like asked her to take her sisters to the restroom at the store. I've asked her to watch out for her sisters when they play outside. She loves being responsible for things and I think it empowers them. So, start small....maybe have her watch them outside while you clean the house and then go from there. The hardest thing she may experience is her siblings listening to her....especially the 9 year old.
Quoting M4LG5:My oldest is only 9 but I've done things like asked her to take her sisters to the restroom at the store. I've asked her to watch out for her sisters when they play outside. She loves being responsible for things and I think it empowers them. So, start small....maybe have her watch them outside while you clean the house and then go from there. The hardest thing she may experience is her siblings listening to her....especially the 9 year old.
Yeah that's what I thought. I don't think that my DS would really like the idea of being babysat. He thinks that he is too old. Lol.
Quoting Lorena:
My 10 yr old was babysitting my friends kids for an hour after school everyday she loved it. She is really mature for age which has alway shocked me for she was raised as the baby and only girl. But once her younger siblings got here she loved the older sister roll.
I would start her off at home then once she is comfortable talk to.some friends and family. But I would not let her babysit for a stranger until she is much older.
Ohhhh I wouldn't dare let her watch for strangers....way way out of momma comfort zone.
Just because your state doesn't have a legal age, that doesn't mean that you are in the clear. Many states leave this decision up to the local governments. You need to check with your county and local municipality to be sure that they don't have laws on the books. Not to mention, leaving a child home alone and leaving a child home alone incharge of younger children are two different things and may have different age requirements.
I honestly wouldn't let an 11 year old babysit younger children. I would leave them home alone for a short period of time though.
Quoting 4kidsmommy:
There is no legal age in my state.
And she has asked me to babysit, I have the problem of giving her the responsibility, I think that is a control thing with me.
That's why I came here to see if anyone lets their kiddos babysit
You should check your county laws too? Where I live, we don't have state laws on this subject, but we have county laws on this subject.
Quoting 4kidsmommy:
There is no legal age in my state.
And she has asked me to babysit, I have the problem of giving her the responsibility, I think that is a control thing with me.
That's why I came here to see if anyone lets their kiddos babysit
Vacation trip
- 4kidsmommy
on Oct. 11, 2012 at 1:29 PM