S/O: Did YOU baby sit when you were 13?

emiliemadison

I know I did, as did almost everyone I knew. The Red Cross babysitting certification course was taught at my Jr High and you had to be at least 12. And I certainly babysat my OWN siblings for shorter periods of time before I was 13.

middlemarch26

emiliemadison:

I know I did, as did almost everyone I knew. The Red Cross babysitting certification course was taught at my Jr High and you had to be at least 12. And I certainly babysat my OWN siblings for shorter periods of time before I was 13.

Ditto. 

PMJacobsen

more like 11.  a 3 year old and a 9 month old. on a regular basis. would i leave charlie with a 13 y.o. though? no.

Worcbride

Yup--did a babysitting course thru a local hospital.  Was watching my brother for short periods of time when I was 8 (he was 4);  didn't do outside the home babysitting until I was 12/had taken the course

ibfloridagirl

I was 11 and i started babysitting for our neighbors 2 kids at night (usually 2-3 hours) once a week.  I look back now and freak out about it, no way!

longhorn14

Yes. I wrote in the other post that I babysat my 3 m/o brother during the summer while my mom was at work, in addition to my 2 other younger brothers. (ages back then 10 and 3)

AngelEyes06

ummm no. my parents were very very very over-protective and didn't even allow me to stay home alone at 13!

raceyrae

I started babysitting at 10 yr. old. ?By 13, I was sitting almost every other weekend.

Crazycrustacean

I did.?

Amrice78

Yes I did and more than one kid at a time too.

caroline:)

Yes. Although the youngest person I would let babysit for DD is 17. But then again, I won't even let my 36 yo sister watch DD (just for waay different parenting styles) so I'm a little picky.

Brookie-Cookie

yup i did at 12. 

 

Lucky_Dragonfly

yup. me and thre other firends ran this church daycare group call Baby Buddies. we watched your kids while the parents went to church on sundays. we were 13. I also watched a 2yo and a 6mos old when I was 14.

Crazycrustacean

Can I just add that 13 now is a lot younger than when I was 13 almost 20 years ago??

LittleMamaB

Yes, but never babies. I didn't start sitting with babies until I was closer to 16. I sat preschoolers until then. Same approach I plan to take...no one under 16 will watch my boys until they are around three.

And I was the youngest child so I didn't have siblings to watch.

jenbowman

yes

meggiekins

I've only ever babysat once, and I was 17. It was for my godfather's daughters who were 12, and like my little sisters anyway. But they were gone overnight and didn't want the girls home alone. I had people asking me to sit starting around age 13 but I was in sports and activities all the time and couldn't. I can't believe people were babysitting at 10, that seems crazy to me!

Jerseygirl16

Yes, I started at 13.

lanie26

Absolutely I did. And the girls I babysat for at 13 were in my wedding. Seriously. WE had the best time.

We have a little 14 year old that we're having help with Jo now. She's awesome.

hodgie

I think I was 11 or 12 when I started with some families from our church...one family had 4 boys under the age of 5! ?And I babysat them by myself. ?I had no training, just read "The Babysitter's Club" books. ?I would never hire someone that age to watch DS now!

?

(And my mom wouldn't let me charge more than $1 an hour!)?

faBriezy

I did at 13, but not babies. I think they were 4 and 6.

mattnlinz03

I took that same class and I know I was babysitting when I was 12.

lanie26

Crazycrustacean:

Can I just add that 13 now is a lot younger than when I was 13 almost 20 years ago?

Nope. Its not.

 

middlemarch26

Call us Generation Babysitter's Club. 

But, I would never leave DS with a 12 year old!

 

akiernan

I was 12, babysitting for a 6 month old, usually for no more than an hour or two at a time.

I was CPR certified, but that was it.

Temp174496125006552

Yes, I did. But older kids.  I was probably 15 or 6

Temp174496125006552

Yes, I did. But older kids.  I was probably 15 or 16 before I

Temp174496125006552

Yes, I did. But older kids.  I was probably 15 or 16 before I watched a

Temp174496125006552

Yes, I did. But older kids.  I was probably 15 or 16 before

Val&B0604

Yep maybe even @ 12.

Temp174496125006552

Sorry for the dups.

I started to say that I was probably 15 or 16 (closer to 16, now that I think about it) before I watched a baby.

kelly&marty

Yes I did, and for infants too. I remember being 12 years old and babysitting babies. It shocks me now to think that those parents trusted me, but I guess nobody got hurt so it was either ok or we got lucky!

o2bme

Yes, I babysat in the summer two kids Mon-Fri while their parents worked.

Agrippa

Crazycrustacean:

Can I just add that 13 now is a lot younger than when I was 13 almost 20 years ago?

Not really.  I taught 13 year olds, and the majority of them would have been more than capable of taking care of other children--particularly if they were their siblings.

BlessedMommy723

Yep. I took the Red Cross class as well.

jenifairies

yes but not babies. younger cousins. my parents were always home and only a few miles away.

ChelseaBelle

I started babysitting when I was 11 and when I was 13 I babysat very regularly. I was just telling DH the other day how crazy it was that a girl I watched when she was 18 months old is now 16 and I just turned 26! My DD has never stayed with anyone but her grandparents.

KittenGator

Nope. First time I babysat, I was 21 and it was for about an hour and a half. I just didn't know any kids and am the youngest in my family.