DD is having an odd night while babysitting!

[clh2]

DD (12 YO) is babysitting a 10 mo. old tonight, while that mom and dad take their 4 and 7 year olds to a ball game.

They told DD to take the baby on a walk while they left, otherwise the baby would be crying, for a long period of time.

DD takes baby for the walk, the rest of the family left. DD called me about 15 minutes later, they accidentally shut the garage door.

Yep - they locked DD out of the house. DD suggests they see if "Family A" has either of the mom or dad's cell #s, since Family A is on the emergency phone number list. FamilyA is wonderful, we've known them for years, but no, they don't have a cell number.

So, baby is asleep upstairs at our house, no worse for the wear. This family is going to come home to a house with no baby, and no sitter. DD left a message on the phone, in case they call home. She also put up 2 notes at their house. Hopefully they'll see the notes before they panic.

Luckily, DH and I were at a high school graduation party across the street from where she was babysitting. And, some of the guests had babies, so they graciously shared some diapers and wipes with us.

And, DD wonders why - remember she is only 12 - why we only let her babysit if we will be home (or tonight in the subdivision). The other odd thing, DD took her cell phone tonight, and had it with her on the walk. Usually she refuses to take it, and we end up having a fight about it.

 

[transparant]

I only let my DD (13) babysit the neighbors kids if we are at home too. These kids are high maintenance!

You'll have to post and let us know what the parents say when they get home! LOL!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Yikes! Thank goodness you were close by and could help out with supplies. What about a bottle? How long are they going to be gone?

In Maryland, one of the few states with a law regarding age restrictions for babysitters, a sitter has to be at least 13yo to babysit a child under 8yo. Which isn't to say I never left my then 12yo (almost 13yo) DD home with my youngest child when he was about the age of that baby, but only for very brief times when he was sleeping.

Yep, those parents are going to kick themselves!

 

[lulugirl]

Wow, twelve seems really young to watch a 10 month old for an extended period of time.

 

[DisneyPhD]

What a night. I hope they pay her well!

I remember when my niece started sitting for us. I always made sure my neighbors where home (one across the street was her middle school teacher, the one next door was a friends of hers family.) Also she could call her dad, but he wouldn't be right next door.

What where they thinking????????

 

[clh2]

She has baby sat all 3 boys about 1 time per month since about February. Usually the baby goes to bed about 6:30, so luckily, no additional bottle was expected, and the baby had a sippy cup of juice when they went for a walk. So, from that end,things were A-OK. And, baby had his favorite blue blanky with him, and at the times the baby seemed a little stressed (i.e. strange mom in a strange house) you could clearly see the blanky was comforting for him.

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow, twelve seems really young to watch a 10 month old for an extended period of time.

I was thinking the same thing...there are 12 year olds here that still HAVE babysitters, nevermind actually being one LOL. My daughter is 6 and no way would I have a 12 year old child babysit for her, no matter how "mature" they are.

 

[Mike.Wazowski]

The Red Cross offers the Babysitting certification to 11 and 12 year olds here.
I definately think it is great that you are home and able to make sure all goes well.

My mother in law keeps reminding me that she was 8 when she started babysitting! (I just started leaving my 5 year old and 2 year old with my 12 year old for short trips to the store and such - and yes she is certified)

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I was thinking the same thing...there are 12 year olds here that still HAVE babysitters, nevermind actually being one LOL. My daughter is 6 and no way would I have a 12 year old child babysit for her, no matter how "mature" they are.

My DD started babysitting for us when she was 13yo--at the time our youngest was 1yo and the others were 7 and 10. She did an amazing job, especially with the baby. We only had one incident, and that was when he was a toddler, so she was probably 14yo at that time. He got the phone and dialed 9-1-1 and the police called back, but she didn't recognize the number on the caller ID, so didn't answer, so they sent a car to the house. She was a bit shaken up over that. Oops. No harm and she learned to really watch him carefully... But Jake was a handful for sure.

She started babysitting for neighbors when she was probably 14yo.

My son started babysitting for neighbors when he was probably 13yo or so, but by that time the neighbors were not babies. My 3rd son will be 13yo and will be old enough to babysit. I will let him babysit his brother who will be almost 7yo, but they are very close and Jake will listen to Zach more than anyone else.

 

[Skylarr29]

Hopefully all ends well and the parents don't freak out when they get home to no baby. Do they have her cell phone number?? I am surprised they haven't called to check in.

 

[clh2]

Mom just picked up her baby, she was a little shook up, apologized profusely, and all is well. She had started freaking a little bit, until she saw the note DD wrote.

This family has lived in our subdivision for about 4 years. Had my DH or me even thought for a moment - we found out they hadn't changed the garage code since they moved in, so we could have checked with the old neighbors to try the garage keypad code they used back when they lived here - and it would have worked. Who would have thought of that???

 

[smilingmouse]

I'm glad that everything worked out ok for your DD!

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

Oh, your poor dd...she was so lucky you were nearby and that she had a cell phone. She seems like a responsible young lady with a good head on her shoulders.

I was babysitting three kids I barely knew one day who lived directly across the street from us (her son was one of my brother's best friends). I think I was 13 or 14 and there was an autistic child in the family. He was a totaly sweetheart. But the five-year-old DD took a steak knife out of their drawer and went behind a dresser and threatened to kill her herself while I was babysitting!!!!!! WTH?? How does she even know how to DO that??

I called my mom in tears (their mom had no contact phone #) and she came home from work and sent me across the street. When their mom came home, I ended with $20 and strict instructions from my mother never to babysit again...

It was probably just instinct for them to shut the garage door, but they should have given your DD a contact number in case of emergencies.

 

[clh2]

It was probably just instinct for them to shut the garage door, but they should have given your DD a contact number in case of emergencies.

That is exactly what happened. Closing the door is such an instint! They had a whole list of numbers for DD, they list was in the house. DD wouldn't give her cell phone number to anyone - the phone is for DH and my convenience only. We just don't want her talking to friends on the cell phone.) But, for future use, we will probably have DD make up "business" type cards for situations like this.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I had an incident while taking care of a child and luckily was about 20 at the time. I had gone out with the youngest child and when I came in the house the alarm went off. The mother and oldest son had come home while I was gone to get something and the son had turned it on. They had never given me the number because they always made sure to leave it off. The alarm was strange because while it was going off I couldn't call out, this was before cell phones became as prevelant, but it would let calls come in. It would go off for about 10 min. then it would stop blaring and just beep. I talked to the alarm company and told them I was the babysitter but because I didn't know the code or a password they wouldn't turn it off. Finally I was able to get hold of the dad, he was a doctor and I had to page him, and he gave me the number. Shortly after I got it turned off the cops and the fire department showed up. Boy did I get a grilling from a ticked off cop. She was not happy. It was like, "Yeah I broke in with a 2 year old whose pictures are all over the house".

 

[nightowlky]

No way would I let a 12 year-old babysit anyone alone!

 

[PrincessCLM]

DD (12 YO) is babysitting a 10 mo. old tonight, while that mom and dad take their 4 and 7 year olds to a ball game.

They told DD to take the baby on a walk while they left, otherwise the baby would be crying, for a long period of time.

DD takes baby for the walk, the rest of the family left. DD called me about 15 minutes later, they accidentally shut the garage door.

Yep - they DD is locked out of the house.

I had to laugh because I did that once while babysitting too! I had been babysitting for their one son for years and it was the first time with their new baby. So here I am stuck outside with a toddler and an infant. Thankfully the neighbor came by and helped me break into the house

 

[kirbsam]

No way would I let a 12 year-old babysit anyone alone!

why not? and what does this have to do with the op??

 

[golfgal]

No way would I let a 12 year-old babysit anyone alone!

Well in our area if you didn't use 12 year old babysitters, you will never have a babysitter. Red Cross starts giving babysitting clinics to 11 year olds and that is when most kids start babysitting in our area. 11 year old are a lot more responsible around here then it seems they are in other areas though. I suppose that is because they can actually leave their yards without police protection and have learned some responsibility along the way.

 

[golfgal]

OP, your DD did great. Sounds like she handled things very well. We aren't always home when DS13 babysits but he can always call our cell phones if he needs.