13 year old watching 2 year old?

[mommyof2princesses]

I agree with other posters. If you think she is responsible enough, then yes. My almost 15 year old has been baby sitting since she was 13 and watches her sister at home all the time. I would trust her to walk around the resort, but not the parks....just too much going on.

 

[klacey1]

If you would trust her to watch the younger one at home, I would certainly trust her long enough for a 20 minute walk around the resort! I would have them take a phone, though.

 

[MSSANDRA]

So depends...

Mature 13 year old with a two year old that will listen and hold her hand....
maybe.

Will you be in the room?
Will she have a cell phone?
How long? Is the resort crowded?

I might be ok with them walking 5-10 minutes ahead of you to the playground or toward the food court.

Would not allow anywhere near water, in the giftshop or to get food in the food court. Too easy be distracted!!!

It would not be worth it to me as I would worry too much the whole time!

 

[tzolkin]

I would not.
I'm way too paranoid, so I wouldn't be able to relax anyway. I would not feel completely confident in my oldest and I would worry that my little one would not behave well enough for her to manage.


That said, I babysat all the time. Even when I was younger than 13.
So it really depends on your kids' personalities and if the older one is used to watching the little one.

 

[dxander]

At your resort: It depends on the maturity of the 13 year old. As a previous poster stated, be sure to set some ground rules first.

 

[Liberty Belle]

It really depends on the two year old and the thirteen year old. In my case, no.

 

[mom2val]

Since you asked my opinion...... Not a chance in HECK! 13 year old would not be walking by herself either!

 

[krcit]

My 14 year old dd? Yes, absolutely and yes when she was 13/ In fact, I would also let my almost 12 year old dd.

 

[Bangerang]

I think it also depends on the resort and how busy it is. A value resort with lots of other teenagers running loose is very different from a deluxe during value season. Babysitting in a home is much different than out of it. It depends on how distractible your teenager (or 2 year old) are. Consider a trial run to the mall, park, or elsewhere in public and observe from a distance.

 

[balletmom97]

I think that the deciding factor for me would be the location.

Think about the resort-- it is a large gathering of people you don't know. People are on vacation and they tend to let their guard down and/or they do things they wouldn't think of doing at home and/or they are stressed from trying to cram in too much "family fun"...

Would you drop off the 13yo and 2yo at the mall without supervision? IMHO, it is the same type of situation.

You do what is comfortable for YOU. However, if I had to guess, I'd say you are not completely comfortable with it, or you would not have asked the question.

My kids are 13 & 16 and I often tell them that I trust them completely, but I am a little worried about the rest of the human population!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Depends on the kid, my niece will be 13 in April. She is mote mature, responsible and street smart than many adults! Other kids... Probably not!

 

[mjkacmom]

Since you asked my opinion...... Not a chance in HECK! 13 year old would not be walking by herself either!

Really? At 13? My dd13 walks to school 3/4 of a mile from our home by herself a couple times a week. She walks alone to and from her friends' homes. She walks to the supermarket to buy food alone. My neighbor's dd started taking the bus into NYC, at night, by herself, at 16 (she is in an irish music all-female band, and they played regularly). At what age can a teen be alone in public?

 

[Kimkimba]

No way.

I have a 2 yo and a 12 yo.

 

[krcit]

Really? At 13? My dd13 walks to school 3/4 of a mile from our home by herself a couple times a week. She walks alone to and from her friends' homes. She walks to the supermarket to buy food alone. My neighbor's dd started taking the bus into NYC, at night, by herself, at 16 (she is in an irish music all-female band, and they played regularly). At what age can a teen be alone in public?

I agree. I am kind of suprised at how many people are saying no way. I know each kid is different and every situation is different but a 13 yo is in or almost in high school My dd walks to school a mile every day by herself(although she does text me when she meets up with her friend)

 

[tzolkin]

I agree. I am kind of suprised at how many people are saying no way. I know each kid is different and every situation is different but a 13 yo is in or almost in high school My dd walks to school a mile every day by herself(although she does text me when she meets up with her friend)

I think letting a 13yo walk to school is different than letting him/her watch a 2yo who could run into traffic, fall into the pool, break something in the gift shop, disappear if the 13yo gets distracted for even a minute.

These are the reasons most have said it depends on the behavior of the 2yo. A little one in a stroller who listens well, fine. One who might run off, refuses to listen, doesn't hold hands, no way!

 

[Hannathy]

I agree. I am kind of suprised at how many people are saying no way. I know each kid is different and every situation is different but a 13 yo is in or almost in high school My dd walks to school a mile every day by herself(although she does text me when she meets up with her friend)

I know I find it very unusual. How old are the babysitters in their areas? around here most are 13-14, by the time they are driving they don't want to sit. If a 13 yr old can't watch a 2 yr old at a resort I would seriously question the 13 yr olds maturity level. My 14 yr old was watching 2 girls for the whole day while their Mom worked.

 

[scrappingizlife]

With me it really depends. Not just on the maturity of the 14 yr old though. Does your 14 yr old, look like a 14 yr old? Like will the 2 of them be a target for some crazy pedophile to run off them? I think that would be my biggest concern.
I know most teens now a days don't look their age, heck my 15 yr old cousin looks 20.

 

[DonnaBelle2005]

I absolutely think around the resort would be fine - especially if you knew where they would be (playground area, baby pool area, gift shop) and that your older child had a cell phone with him/her.

I am guessing they are use to the toddler and comfortable around him/her?

Its a call on how mature you think the 13/14 year old is and how comfortable are you also with him/her with the 2 yr old.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I know I find it very unusual. How old are the babysitters in their areas? around here most are 13-14, by the time they are driving they don't want to sit. If a 13 yr old can't watch a 2 yr old at a resort I would seriously question the 13 yr olds maturity level. My 14 yr old was watching 2 girls for the whole day while their Mom worked.

That's the point, not all 13 year olds are mature. There's no way bunch of strangers on a message board can possibly know how mature or immature the OP's child is. It has to be a decision made by the actual person in the situation. It doesn't matter if 100 people come on this message board and say it's perfectly fine, if the OP's doesn't feel like the child can't handle it, then the OP will just have to decision.

 

[princessmom29]

At 13 I was routinely left in charge of the neighbors 3 kidsages 4, 2 and an infant for several hours at a time from the time the infant was 6 weeks old. My mother was across the street if anything happened, but I only had to call her once to figure out how much baby tylenol to give the infant who had a fever. I would think that one 2 year old would be a breeze and if the child is at all mature and responsible there should not be a problem just walking around the resort.