DD is having an odd night while babysitting!

[GADISNEYGIRL]

I started babysitting when I was ten. For about a year, I kept the same children every Friday night... but at OUR house, so I did have supervision. However, anything related to the children, my mom made me do, since I was getting paid for it. By age 11, I was babysitting at other people's houses. And by 12, I was the baby-sitter-in-demand in our town. I realize that times have changed since then (20+ years), but I also KNOW that I was much more mature and responsible than any 10, 11, or 12 year olds that I know now.

Glad everything turned out alright! Gosh, at that time, no one had cell phones, and most of my customers didn't have garage doors, either!

 

[tiggger1]

I hate to go off topic but I dont see the problem with a 12 year old babysitter, if the 12 year old is a good kid. I started babysitting at 11 or 12 and by 13 I was watching infants, plus 2-3 other siblings till 11 at night. I was 14 and I had 8 kids under the age of 8 including 3 infants all day for a wedding, at a relatives house.

 

[nightowlky]

why not?

For just the exact type of situation that occurred in the OP. What if the infant had crawled to a kitchen cabinet and drank some cleaning fluid or something. Would the 12yo know what to do other than call her parents, if she even did that all? What if the baby injured itself trying to climb up something? There are myriad reasons.

and what does this have to do with the op??

Uh, the first line in the op?

DD (12 YO) is babysitting a 10 mo. old tonight

 

[DisneyPhD]

For just the exact type of situation that occurred in the OP. What if the infant had crawled to a kitchen cabinet and drank some cleaning fluid or something. Would the 12yo know what to do other than call her parents, if she even did that all? What if the baby injured itself trying to climb up something? There are myriad reasons.

Uh, the first line in the op?



It really has to depend on the confidence level and problem sloving skills of the 12 year old. Like many other people I was the baby siter in demand in my neighborhood 20 years ago. Both my niece and my DH's cousins kids were very responsible and good thinkers. I let them wacth my kids for the afternoon or eveing. Some kids aren't ready to baby sit in their 20's. (but somehow end up parents. )

The one here "not responsible" is the parents who locked her out of their house. How old do you think they are?

Oh and all that stuff, covered in the red cross baby sitting class.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I locked myself out while babysitting once - but was able to easily get in through the basement - which then did not leave me feeling very safe. I always locked the door to the basement after that, but it gave me the creeps to stay there after that at night.

I would only let a 12 or 13 year old babysit (or let my DD babysit at that age) if the baysitters parents are going to be home and are close - I think that is a good way to start babysitting and learn. - and, of course, depends on the maturity of the babysitter...

 

[LoveWDW]

I'll be interested in the outcome, too. Actually, the parents should never have had the babysitter leave the house without a key and locking the house. The house could easily have been burgled with the door unlocked to let the babysitter and children back in. So she should have been given a key and directed to lock up the house when she left with the children, or if the parents were still there, which is what it seemed like from the OP's post, they should have locked up- as long as the sitter had a key.

 

[clh2]

I would only let a 12 or 13 year old babysit (or let my DD babysit at that age) if the baysitters parents are going to be home and are close - I think that is a good way to start babysitting and learn. - and, of course, depends on the maturity of the babysitter...

OP here - of course my opinion is biased - I thought my DD handled this great! It was her idea to contact the family in our subdivision on the "emergency list." When we brought the baby back to our house, she came up with a great "blockade" for the stairs, as that was one of DD's first concerns~stairs were a new interest to this baby. Personally, I couldn't think of anything that would fit the bill for that. She also decided where in the house made the most sense for the baby to go to sleep, and then after he fell asleep, she turned on a dim light, and worked on a craft project in the room. She stayed in the room with the baby, to make sure he didn't move around, wake up & go tumbling down the stairs. Once in our house, DD didn't let the baby leave her sight. The baby actually didn't move at all until he heard his mommy!

 

[Mom2Em]

Your DD did a fantastic job!!! I wouldn't think twice about using her as a babysitter...

 

[Tigger&Belle]

One time my DD was babysitting the neighbor kids and she stepped outdoors and the child locked the door, locking her out... Must have been because my DD was young, right? She did get the child to unlock the door and all was ok. It obviously happens sometimes because that some girl (ie, my DD) did that to me when she was a toddler. Things happen, whether it's to a babysitter or to a parent.

 

[DisneyPhD]

OP here - of course my opinion is biased - I thought my DD handled this great! It was her idea to contact the family in our subdivision on the "emergency list." When we brought the baby back to our house, she came up with a great "blockade" for the stairs, as that was one of DD's first concerns~stairs were a new interest to this baby. Personally, I couldn't think of anything that would fit the bill for that. She also decided where in the house made the most sense for the baby to go to sleep, and then after he fell asleep, she turned on a dim light, and worked on a craft project in the room. She stayed in the room with the baby, to make sure he didn't move around, wake up & go tumbling down the stairs. Once in our house, DD didn't let the baby leave her sight. The baby actually didn't move at all until he heard his mommy!

It sounds like you DD did a great job, you should be proud of her. What did the parents say when they got home? Did they at least pay her very well for all the extra trouble?

 

[FreshTressa]

One time my DD was babysitting the neighbor kids and she stepped outdoors and the child locked the door, locking her out... Must have been because my DD was young, right? She did get the child to unlock the door and all was ok. It obviously happens sometimes because that some girl (ie, my DD) did that to me when she was a toddler. Things happen, whether it's to a babysitter or to a parent.

This happened to me! (I was 16)

I was letting the dog out and the dog knocked the door closed. It was my sister's baby that was about a year old at the time, just started walking.

I could NOT get back in. I called my parents and they came and broke a window to get back in.

The police/fire dept. would not do anything without the homeowners/parents there.

 

[faith]

I think a 12 year old is too young to babysit. Especially with a 10 month old baby. That's just too much pressure, and responsibility.
Glad you were able to come to her rescue.

 

[tw1nsmom]

One time my DD was babysitting the neighbor kids and she stepped outdoors and the child locked the door, locking her out... Must have been because my DD was young, right? She did get the child to unlock the door and all was ok. It obviously happens sometimes because that some girl (ie, my DD) did that to me when she was a toddler. Things happen, whether it's to a babysitter or to a parent.

That happened to me....when I was 33. I had brought the kids in from the pool and taken off their wet swim suits on the back porch. I sent them into the house naked and turned around to get a towel off the back deck. In the two seconds my back was turned, they shut the back door and somehow turned the lock. Here I was locked outside with two naked not quite potty trained children running around inside! I had climbed a ladder and was half-way through the only unlocked window when DH came home for lunch. At the time, I wasn't quite as amused as he was.

BTW I also began babysitting at 11. I feel more comfortable using children of this age as mother's helpers, but each child is different and I think it makes a big difference that the OP was home to help if needed.