Should a 11-12 year old be able to babysit?

Question

This is really an "event" but it wa the best category i could find. I know an 11 year old (almost 12) that wants to start babysitting. Is she old enough?

NEVER MIND! SHE IS NOT 11 SHE IS 12. SORRY ABOUT THAT. SHE IS 12

SHE IS ALSO GOING TO TAKE A BABYSITTING COURSE AT HER LOCAL YMCA.

Answer 1

Depends, on maturity. Though I think legally in some states you can't leave a child home alone under the age of 12(?). So that would dictate their ability to babysit.

Answer 2

There are a few questions i would ask 1st. How old are the children that the 11-12 yr old will be babysitting? What time of day? How long? How mature is the 11-12 yr old. For example I have a 8yr old daughter and she rides the bus home from school and an 11yr old walks her home from the bus stop and i work 2nd shift while my husband works 1st so if he is running late and I have to go I will leave my 8yr old with the 11yr old for no longer than an hr. Although state law in North Carolina states you can leave a 12yr alone it says nothing about leaving a 12yr as a care giver.

Check this out
http://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/index_article.asp?id=5419

Answer 3

I would say it totally depends on the individuals maturity. But i think an 11 year old is a bit young to be in charge.
Of course it would depend on how many kids were being babysat and their ages too. But all in all my opinion is that she is too young. I think 14 or 15 is around the time that teenagers are generally trusted to babysit for others

Answer 4

I started baby sitting at 12 but that was back in the 60's. It would be okay for a few hrs a time if the young lady is a responsible person & understands the rules. Back then I got $00.50 per hr. Don't know what the going rate is now.

Answer 5

YES! I was 12 years old when I started babysitting! I think it is very very good to start young, to get a feel on how working is like. I really recomend it!

Answer 6

it depends. She's probably old enough to babysit siblings and maybe if she wanted to be a "mothers helper" she could do that but a lot of parents might not trust an 11 year old with their kids.

Answer 7

if shes mature enough then yes.age doesn't really matter,if she was like 16 and she was immature then ha ha i wouldn't let her.i started babysitting when i was 12.made alot of money too.if u let her then tell her to go to Red Cross and take a babysitting class,so shes certified.then u get More cash and more trust when u babysit.

Answer 8

It all dependes on if they are a responsible person or not. If so, I would say that she can and if not no. The responsible babysitter always makes sure that the house is clean after she puts the child to bed and then cleans some extra things like the dishes or something.

Answer 9

yes she should!!! if she is trust worthy and isnt mean or anything, and if the younger kids seems to like her then yeah go for it!!!! i started when i was 11 and i made enough money to take my mom and dad on a trip i gave a lot to charities and i put most of it into my college savings. if you still feel a little shaky about it go to you local hospital because sometimes (at mine they do) there are classes for babysitters to get like a certificate, they learn CPR and all types of stuf, and they learn what to do if there is a break in they really teach the kids how to be safe. a yes yes yes yes yeds yes yes i think she is ready.

Answer 10

Dakota County, Minnisota accepts the following guidelines for older children providing supervision to younger children:

It is acceptable for children ages 11 to 14 to baby-sit, with the expectation that the parent, guardian, or caretaker will be returning to supervise the children later that same day.
It is acceptable for ages 15 and older to baby-sit younger children for more than 24 hours. (Please refer to VIII.A. Decision to Assess Reports of Unsupervised Children.)
This resource is available on the Web at http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/attorney/FAQ/Faq19.htm.
Most States do not have regulations or laws about when a child is considered old enough to care for him/herself or to care for other children. Currently Illinois and Maryland have laws addressing this topic. States may have guidelines or recommendations. These guidelines are most often distributed through child protective services and are administered at the county level.
Contact Child Welfare Information Gateway at 800-394-3366, and staff there will refer you to your local child protective services agency to learn about age guidelines in your area.