Would you have a highschooler babysit for you?

starbound6 · July 2012

For example, on a weekend night while you and DH go to dinner/movie? My Mum will come over for us, but I feel bad asking her every weekend. I have some ex-students who have expressed willingness to babysit for us. These are 16-17 year old girls, with First Aid Cert. from St John's Ambulance.

What would be a reasonable rate do you think? Would you be comfortable with that situation? Assuming you leave after kids are in bed, there is little chance the kids will wake up before you get back, ie both kids STTN.

??

gekeler6 · July 2012

I have only left my girls in the care of family or very close friends. To me, I wouldn't, but that's just me. I used to babysit all the time in HS, and was a regular for a family that had 4 kids.

I pay my sister pretty good when she babysits. But that's also because she cooks and cleans while I'm gone too. For an evening night out for dinner and a movie we could be gone for 4 hrs. I usually pay $50 for the night, but I have lots of kids. She watched Evelyn a month ago during the day so I could run a quick couple errands, I was back within an hour and I paid her $10.

AshleyDG83 · July 2012

It kind of depends on how well you know them. I babysat regularly in HS and worked in my mom's in-home daycare from the time I was 15 until right after I graduated. I was CPR certified and took a few childcare classes. There are some girls we go to church with that I know pretty well that I wouldn't mind watching the kids, especially if they were already in bed and probably wouldn't wake up. And I'd probably pay about $10/hour unless we agreed on a price for the night. That's pretty good since they would just be sitting there.

ateal2490 · July 2012

I think I've watched way too much Dateline NBC to leave Eden with a teenager. I know. I know. Its unreasonable. I really need to step away from the news, but they're just so convincing!

Then again, I'm also scared of daycare for the same reason.

laf10 · July 2012

Depends on who and how well I know them. I honestly don't know a teenager I would leave ds with right now, but if there was someone I trusted, I wouldn't be against it.

danayandcory · July 2012

Yes. I have already left the girls with several high school sitters, both when awake and asleep. I grew up babysitting from the time I was 13, so I don't judge simply based on age. I always make them come over for a few hours while I'm home the first time. A sporadically placed baby monitor can really tell you a lot about their attitude and style with kids. Once I'm comfortable they are comfortable with the girls will let them do evenings and weekends. I always make sure they are CPR certified and have taken the babysitting course offered by our hospital.

eav2c · July 2012

If you trust them, yes. I babysat for the neighbors when I was a teen. I even watched their 2 month old when the older son got sick. I did it about twice or two tiles a month. They paid $10 an hour and provided me dinner. I think rates would be different in different areas. With that said, I wouldn't just let any teen do it. I would need to know their parents and the type of teen that they are.

gisa886 · July 2012

Absolutely! I think it is pretty sad that people aren't willing to do that now. I had a ton of fun baby sitting as a teen. Most are responsible and it isn't like you are leaving for a day. I have no idea what the going rate is now, but I charged five an hour in the early 2000s. I'd stick close to minimum wage.

starbound6 · July 2012

gisa886:
Absolutely! I think it is pretty sad that people aren't willing to do that now. I had a ton of fun baby sitting as a teen. Most are responsible and it isn't like you are leaving for a day. I have no idea what the going rate is now, but I charged five an hour in the early 2000s. I'd stick close to minimum wage.

Yeah, I used to babysit too, it was fun. I was hoping for about $10/hour nowadays, but the minimum wage here is $16 - I guess I'll talk about it with them. These are girls I used to teach, so I think I trust them with my kids.. thanks for your feedback ladies.

gisa886 · July 2012

starbound6:
gisa886:
Absolutely! I think it is pretty sad that people aren't willing to do that now. I had a ton of fun baby sitting as a teen. Most are responsible and it isn't like you are leaving for a day. I have no idea what the going rate is now, but I charged five an hour in the early 2000s. I'd stick close to minimum wage.
Yeah, I used to babysit too, it was fun. I was hoping for about $10/hour nowadays, but the minimum wage here is $16 - I guess I'll talk about it with them. These are girls I used to teach, so I think I trust them with my kids.. thanks for your feedback ladies.

$16!!!! That is insane. Here it is 7.55. I think 10 is reasonable then.

jkfranklin · July 2012

gisa886:
starbound6:
gisa886:
Absolutely! I think it is pretty sad that people aren't willing to do that now. I had a ton of fun baby sitting as a teen. Most are responsible and it isn't like you are leaving for a day. I have no idea what the going rate is now, but I charged five an hour in the early 2000s. I'd stick close to minimum wage.
Yeah, I used to babysit too, it was fun. I was hoping for about $10/hour nowadays, but the minimum wage here is $16 - I guess I'll talk about it with them. These are girls I used to teach, so I think I trust them with my kids.. thanks for your feedback ladies.
$16!!!! That is insane. Here it is 7.55. I think 10 is reasonable then.

That is crazy! I made $1 an hour per kid when I babysat. I'm very cheap so I haven't left my kids with anyone buy family who are free.

On this same topic, we had a flyer taped to our mailbox from a little girl advertising that she could babysit. It was cute, but she was 11.

thadsrad · July 2012

If you trust them, why on earth wouldn't you leave your kids with a teen?? (If you don't want to leave your kids period, that is a whole other can of worms.)

I don't get this culture of fear we live in.

I have 13 year olds who act as mother's helpers for me so I can work. They aren't quite ready to babysit alone at night because they aren't comfortable with that. As soon as they are, we will use them. We want to encourage them to be independent and confident and we want our children to live the same way.

huahualove · July 2012

laf10:
Depends on who and how well I know them. I honestly don't know a teenager I would leave ds with right now, but if there was someone I trusted, I wouldn't be against it.

This is how I feel too. I used to babysit all the time before I was old enough to get a job. I got paid only $1 or $1.50 an hour which was crap for watching 2 girls since I actually make them meals and give baths, anything needed. I was a really good babysitter though, even though I was young. Not all teenagers are going to be this way, but if there is someone you know and trust, I don't see any harm in it. You could try it out for short amounts of time at first and see how it is and just stay close if they need you right away for anything.

Kdrake8 · July 2012

DH and I work in the same school district. I teach 7th grade and he teaches 9th. We have already discussed that if it's a student that we BOTH had (they had me in 7th and then have DH in 9th) and we both find the student mature and responsible, we would be ok with it. I'd want them to have taken the hospital babysitting classes too.

I don't think I'd be wild about a student that I hadnt taught, though. I know DH had several girls who expressed interest in sitting to him and he said they were responsible girls, but I never taught them so I wasn't thrilled about it.

I think it just depends how well you know the teen.

dojo1 · July 2012

No, not at this age. I'm a little uptight though. I have no idea what the going rate is, though I imagine it has to be around $10-15/hr now.

llizzyb · July 2012

I would in the situation you're describing. But, I'm still more comfortable with an older sitter since DS is still so young. He's pretty high need, and I want someone who's not frustrated or scared by that.

I just found a babysitter who is in her senior year of college and 22, and I was relieved to get someone that old.

Beener0514 · July 2012

I am a high school teacher and there are plenty of students who I have that I would trust with my baby. In fact, many of my colleagues do have students babysit for them. I really think it is a person-by-person basis, just like with an adult. There are plenty people older than 18 that I would never leave my baby with.

laurack · July 2012

sure if it were a teen I knew & trusted and/or was recommended by a close friend.

I WISH my neighbourhood was full of teens clambering to babysit my little one for low prices! haha.

katieh1017 · July 2012

Beener0514:
I am a high school teacher and there are plenty of students who I have that I would trust with my baby. In fact, many of my colleagues do have students babysit for them. I really think it is a person-by-person basis, just like with an adult. There are plenty people older than 18 that I would never leave my baby with.

This exactly. I actually met one of our neighbors at a block party recently and in the back of my mind I was already thinking that she would be a good babysitter in the next year or so. I probably wouldn't leave L with anyone but family until she was a bit older.

SoonToBeMrsDTS · July 2012

When DD1 was a baby I would put her to bed and have our 18 year old next door neighbor come over while we went out but she was asleep the whole time. I have had my cousin watch the older two at 16/17 but I don't know that I'd feel comfortable leaving an infant without an adult around, especially since I have two other kids to be cared for.

I am kind of wondering what people were thinking when we were growing up, I started babysitting when I was 11!

Tambcat · July 2012

Probably only if I knew them and their parents, and probably not until DD is a little older.

thadsrad · July 2012

Tambcat:
Probably only if I knew them and their parents, and probably not until DD is a little older.

I'm curious about this logic (really curious, not looking for a fight.) Why are you hesitant now rather than when they are older? I only ask because in my logic, now he goes to bed pretty early, doesn't have separation anxiety, and can't move around really. I feel like a 16 year old could handle him pretty easily whereas in a few more months he might be more of a handful. Especially if I were going to a late dinner after he went to bed.

Tambcat · July 2012

thadsrad:
Tambcat:
Probably only if I knew them and their parents, and probably not until DD is a little older.
I'm curious about this logic (really curious, not looking for a fight.) Why are you hesitant now rather than when they are older? I only ask because in my logic, now he goes to bed pretty early, doesn't have separation anxiety, and can't move around really. I feel like a 16 year old could handle him pretty easily whereas in a few more months he might be more of a handful. Especially if I were going to a late dinner after he went to bed.

It may not be rational. I just don't trust a kid with my fragile little baby. lol

thadsrad · July 2012

Tambcat:
thadsrad:
Tambcat:
Probably only if I knew them and their parents, and probably not until DD is a little older.
I'm curious about this logic (really curious, not looking for a fight.) Why are you hesitant now rather than when they are older? I only ask because in my logic, now he goes to bed pretty early, doesn't have separation anxiety, and can't move around really. I feel like a 16 year old could handle him pretty easily whereas in a few more months he might be more of a handful. Especially if I were going to a late dinner after he went to bed.
It may not be rational. I just don't trust a kid with my fragile little baby. lol

Ha! Got it. Sometimes I think I lack that motherly instinct. I'm all, "oh you want the baby, ok!" and I don't really think any of it through.

MikeHoncho · July 2012

I just posted this in the FFFC thread, I didn't see it down here some how. No, I wouldn't leave L with someone that age for his full time care. A random Friday night one night out of the month so we could go to a late movie or dinner? Maybe. I wouldn't leave him for longer than a couple hours and I would make sure he was already down for the night.

erniebufflo · July 2012

I'd probably need two high schoolers. I wouldn't let just any teenager do it, but a friend's daughter is super responsible and sits for several other friends' kids, so I'd let her and a friend do it.

JaimeG183 · July 2012

Yes if I had them over a bunch first.

I have a girl who is going to be a senior come over. For now, she comes when I am home and I just do house stuff while she plays with him. I also can see how they interact.

I told her once the school year starts we will probably try a date night.

She came highly recommended from a (picky) coworker of mine and her mom is my school's secretary. Also my boss uses her for her 2 kids

Want a personalized experience?

Would you have a highschooler babysit for you?

Re: Would you have a highschooler babysit for you?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards