I babysat for her over the next three years, at least twice a week. I was a pretty responsible kid, and I usually gave the kids 100% of my attention. I even did crafts with them and made up silly dance routines as they got older. However, I was still a “normal” teenager who did “normal” teenager things. I had friends over from time to time. I sat on the couch and watched MTV while the kids played. I sat out in the front yard and talked to boys while the kids ran around. Thank goodness we lived on a road that was not traveled often!
Now that I am a parent, I look back and wonder why she trusted me with her children. I was 13! I knew nothing about kids, especially young babies. Was it because my parents were right across the street? Possibly. Or maybe since she was a psychologist, she could read me enough to know that I would take good care of her kids? Whatever her reason, I think she must have been crazy.
Why?
Because I would NEVER let a teenage kid babysit my kids. No way. The only people I have had keep my kids are my mom, my very close friends, and a couple of Rylie’s old daycare teachers who were certified in CPR. I just wouldn't trust a teenager to properly care for my kids.
Most teenagers these days are irresponsible little brats that act like toddlers themselves. Even if I were to find one that I deemed “responsible”, there is no way my over-protective, paranoid self would let a teenager babysit my kids. I feel like all they would be doing is texting away with their friends, while Rylie and Bryce were up to no good. And trust me, those little stinkers would definitely take advantage of the situation.
So what about you? Do you hire teenagers to babysit your kids like parents did in the "old days"?
12 comments:
I, too, started babysitting as soon as I turned 13. I was even allowed to take the kids I watched, off their property! By the time I was in college I had house-sat, pet-sat, garden-sat and babysat any number of kids, including a 3 year stint as a "mother's helper" in which the chunks of time were longer, on a regular basis, and involved more duties.
Would I ever do the same, even if we could afford it and even if Ash wasn't a special needs child that has been babysat fewer times than the number of years he's been alive, and always by someone we know very well, that's spent time with him, in my presence, many times before the babysitting?
Oh, hell no.
And from what I saw when I was tutoring a child while he and his sister were theoretically being babysat by a college student, I'd have a hard time convincing myself to hire one of them, either.
I am always open to exceptions proving themselves, but because of the rule they are potentially exceptions to, they would NOT be proving themselves via blind trust to begin with. This is MY KID. I can't help it....my kid is worth more than an "easy" night OUT for me, and money for the movies for the teen.
Rhiannon Fieri of Unhandicapping.com
(Who has trouble leaving comments on blogs that don't give a name/URL option, for whatever reason.)
Haha I was a teenage babysitter myself, starting at age 11 for our neighbor w/3 girls! However I concur that kids these days are less responsible than we were, especially due to distracting technology. I only have my kids watched by fam as well.
We rarely ever leave the kids with anyone (family, friends, etc) but if we do it's either my mom or my 17 year old neighbor. He is extremely responsible and so attentive to my children. He has only ever watched them while his parents were in the house with them, but I definitely trust him. We have known him and his family for several years. But other than that? No. Adam was 2 years old before we even left him for a few hours with my mom! It's soo hard finding someone who cares about your kids as much as you do so we just don't leave them if we can help it.
I think I would let me own 13 year old watch her younger siblings, but never have a young teenager watch them right now. I have only really let them stay with family.
I started babysitting at 12 and did so on a very regular basis all the way til I graduated high school. I was a pretty responsible teen, though. That said, nope, I won't let a teen watch my kids. Heck, my kids have only been babysat a hanful of times and my oldest is 7. I just don't leave them. The only people who have watched them has been my MIL, my mom, and my SIL. I just don't trust a teen to be responsible enough and to NOT be on a phone the entire time. With texting and internet on phones, ect, teens are addicted to that lil device.
I also babysat starting at age 13, for a family who had four kids, ages 3-9. I wasn't your average teenager by any means though. I most definitely gave the kids my full attention (no phone, no TV, etc etc) and those kids still managed to raise hell. For example, once while I was helping the 3 year old use the potty, their five year old brought a hose into the house and turned it on and flooded the kitchen. But we had a lot of fun...we'd play kickball outside, do crafts, I'd help the older ones with homework, etc. and if everyone was situated with toys or homework, I'd even do some chores. Their mom made sure that there would be no distractions (she said no TV and no phone calls unless there was an emergency and I needed to call her) and because I was a good kid, I respected her wishes. In exchange for this, she paid me well :) As for whether or not I'd let a teenager babysit my kid? It completely depends on the teenager and the age of my kids. A baby? Definitely not. But a preschooler (or older), sure, but only if it was a teen we knew very well and who knew our family well, and if he or she had good character and no history of getting in trouble. In other words, I'd look for someone who reminded me of myself as a teenager. But I would never just hire a random teenager to babysit for us. And I'd probably call to check in at least once :)
I started babysitting when I was 12, for the people who lived right down the street, but I'd go over once they had already put the kids in bed. When I turned 14, I started going a little earlier, but the kid were also older. Bed time was hard, and I remember thinking how hard it was to get the kids to listen to me! I think looking back I was too young. Kids saw me on their level, rather than an adult, and so didn't give me the respect I needed or deserved! And I agree, most kids now act like toddlers themselves. Too obsessed with technology! So, I guess my answer is no! I would not allow a teenager to watch my children!
Great post! :)
The best babysitter I ever had was 13. I kid you not. She was phenomenal. When you catch them before they get all distracted with a social life, they are much better. She even brought activities, games, and ideas with her when she sat for us and she loved to play with the kids, not watch tv or do anything else.
I'd be freaking out nowadays because teens must be so distracted with their cell phones and social media. I'm so glad that wasn't around back then!
I enjoyed your blog and it reminded me of the first time I baby sat when I was 12. I think back now on how very young I really was. In fact, it was in the evening and when the kids when to sleep, I remembered hearing some noises (probably from the furnace)that scared me !!!!
Hannah P.S.
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No I don't think I will be able to bring myself to let a teenager babysit. Other than maybe a super responsible older teen.
I spent most of my "free" time before I got my own car and real job babysitting, starting at roughly 13. All of the kids I sat for I knew because I was a regular helper in the church nursery. Several were the younger siblings of friends. But it's hard for me to say if I would let a "random" teenager watch my kids. My niece and nephew have both watched my older daughter while I ran errands, so they were pretty young. She's 3, and they'll be 18 and 15 this summer. Since my second daughter was born, only the grandparents have stayed with the girls. I really think it depends on the teenager, but as a general answer, I'd say no teenagers.
~Erin
erin@dreamingwithmidnite.com
TwitterID: Midnite592
I was looking around and stumbled around this post. I would never let another kid babysit my kids. I hardly want to let my mother babysit, lol. I am so overprotective. I just know noone will take care of them like I do. Even when you leave a set of do's and dont's the list doesn't always get 100% respect. If adults get distracted, teenagers do so even more. I have a hard time trusting ANYONE, I definitely don't trust an inexperienced kid.
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