tween sitters

mrspresley

remember Lisa's post about hiring a tween to watch your LO? well I was just flipping through American Baby and saw this.....

In a recent survey from Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, 40% of tween sitters admit they've left kids alone, and 20% have opened the door to strangers.

kind of scary!

MrsNJSwimmer

in their defense, I have to say from living in that area, it's more of a place where you know most of your neighbors and are more trusting... but that's still scary in general. 

redshoegirl

MrsNJSwimmer:

in their defense, I have to say from living in that area, it's more of a place where you know most of your neighbors and are more trusting... but that's still scary in general. 

Even so...there is sooooo much that can happen to a little kid when they're not being watched, even just simple stuff like turning on the stove or scalding themselves by playing with a hot water tap (the quote doesn't say how old these kids are, but if the sitter is a tween then I'm assuming the kids are like 5 or 6?).

But then, I'd never let a tween watch my kids, even a super responsible and mature 12 year old (since "mature" for 12 means like what? 14? ). Maybe I'm too uptight lol!

Married2MrWright

Eek! Scary! In all honesty, I wouldn't let a tween babysit. And I think I'd only let an older high school babysit elementary school-aged and older kids, not preschoolers or younger. But that's just me. If I ever do hire a babysitter, I'd prefer a college student. Right now I've been super lucky that if/when we need a sitter my mom can do it or one of my friends who also have small children.

MrsNJSwimmer

redshoegirl:

MrsNJSwimmer:

in their defense, I have to say from living in that area, it's more of a place where you know most of your neighbors and are more trusting... but that's still scary in general. 

Even so...there is sooooo much that can happen to a little kid when they're not being watched, even just simple stuff like turning on the stove or scalding themselves by playing with a hot water tap (the quote doesn't say how old these kids are, but if the sitter is a tween then I'm assuming the kids are like 5 or 6?).

But then, I'd never let a tween watch my kids, even a super responsible and mature 12 year old (since "mature" for 12 means like what? 14? ). Maybe I'm too uptight lol!

sorry, i was more commenting on the second part.  i totally agree on the 1st part.

MrsNJSwimmer

I kinda wonder though, what they meant by leaving kids alone - I leave mine alone to go to the bathroom, but not for an extended period of time. It's kind of vague.

redshoegirl

MrsNJSwimmer:

redshoegirl:

MrsNJSwimmer:

in their defense, I have to say from living in that area, it's more of a place where you know most of your neighbors and are more trusting... but that's still scary in general. 

Even so...there is sooooo much that can happen to a little kid when they're not being watched, even just simple stuff like turning on the stove or scalding themselves by playing with a hot water tap (the quote doesn't say how old these kids are, but if the sitter is a tween then I'm assuming the kids are like 5 or 6?).

But then, I'd never let a tween watch my kids, even a super responsible and mature 12 year old (since "mature" for 12 means like what? 14? ). Maybe I'm too uptight lol!

sorry, i was more commenting on the second part.  i totally agree on the 1st part.

Ahhh OK! Lol I was really surprised because I thought you were agreeing on the first (serves me right for reading too fast ).

I'm with you on wondering what "leave alone" means though. I'm assuming it must mean walking out of the house or something - I wouldn't think that going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water or whatever would count?

MrsNJSwimmer

redshoegirl:

MrsNJSwimmer:

redshoegirl:

MrsNJSwimmer:

in their defense, I have to say from living in that area, it's more of a place where you know most of your neighbors and are more trusting... but that's still scary in general. 

Even so...there is sooooo much that can happen to a little kid when they're not being watched, even just simple stuff like turning on the stove or scalding themselves by playing with a hot water tap (the quote doesn't say how old these kids are, but if the sitter is a tween then I'm assuming the kids are like 5 or 6?).

But then, I'd never let a tween watch my kids, even a super responsible and mature 12 year old (since "mature" for 12 means like what? 14? ). Maybe I'm too uptight lol!

sorry, i was more commenting on the second part.  i totally agree on the 1st part.

Ahhh OK! Lol I was really surprised because I thought you were agreeing on the first (serves me right for reading too fast ).

I'm with you on wondering what "leave alone" means though. I'm assuming it must mean walking out of the house or something - I wouldn't think that going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water or whatever would count?

I would think that too, but if you're in middle school and asked that, I'd think going to the bathroom might qualify in their minds.  It's possible, anyway. 

I was trying to think about my own babysitting experiences at that age (a lot of which were with my younger twin brothers), but I can't say I opened the door to strangers, even back then.  But I'm fairly certain I spent time on the phone in another room from them while they played, or I was inside making dinner while they played outside or something.  I'd say they were at least 5 by then and certainly knew the rules about not going in the road, etc, and I just had to worry about if they got hurt and taking appropriate first aid action.  For other people's kids (usually my brothers' friends!), I was usually in the same room with them, or outside with them, but I wouldn't be in the bathroom if they were bathing, for instance.  But for punishments, they would be sent to their rooms alone, behind a closed door.

We might all be thinking of smaller children, since that's what we are used to.  Leaving a 12 yr old with a 1 yr old might be a stretch, but I'm pretty sure I'd leave a 5 yr old with a 12 yr old (If I knew them well, obviously).

mrspresley

MrsNJSwimmer:

I kinda wonder though, what they meant by leaving kids alone - I leave mine alone to go to the bathroom, but not for an extended period of time. It's kind of vague.

I wondered that, too, but i am sure that they were specific in asking them and didn't count something like going to the bathroom.....