Should i let my 11 yo watch my 10 mo. old?

Question

it'll only be for a 1 1/2 hours and i want to get her used to babysitting. she knows pretty much everything she needs to know. i just want other peoples thoughts on the situation?

Answer 1

I think it would be fine for a couple of hours. Make sure the bottles are accessible and she knows not to answer the door or give any hint on the phone that you are not home. Make sure your cell number is handy and she knows to call 911 if there is an emergency. All things considered she should be fine.

Answer 2

I would say that it depends on how responsible the 11 year old is and how far you will be. You have to think about the fact that she is only 11 too and remember that she may not realize all of the situations that a 10 mo old can get into!! I have a 9 year old and I sometimes let him watch my 2 and 3 year old while I am gone for five to ten minutes but never any longer.

Answer 3

My oldest was babysitting all *five* of her siblings for short periods at age 12; if I recall correctly, she was allowed to watch her youngest sibling at 11 while I napped or showered and whatnot.

It all depends on the child's maturity level, and what knowledge/training they have for emergency situations. Also, for such a young age, I suggest making sure that EVERY time your child babysits, there should be a nearby neighbor or other adult who is available to help out if the child gets overwhelmed, or comes across a problem they aren't comfortable handling alone.

It may be easier for her to start with very short periods, such as 30-45 minutes, and at this age, I'd say no longer than 2 hrs. once she's worked up to that.

FWIW, my next oldest child is now 11, almost 12, and while he's a good kid and great with babies and little ones, I don't have the same amount of trust in his ability to make 100% responsible decisions, or to think of safety first and foremost. I trust him enough to leave him alone for a short time, or to "supervise" his siblings who are within a couple of years of his own age, but not necessarily to be in charge of the littlest ones.

Answer 4

I think this is great, as long as she is responsible and she has emergency contacts available. I know most 6th graders begin sitting about this age for sibblings. So, if she is in 6th grade already, perhaps. She could take a babysitting class- sometimes the YMCA offers them and get CPR and First Aid certified. This would help her when she wants to babysit for others anyway. Maybe you could even pay her for watching, this way she'd feel like she was getting money for helping out. I pay my sitter about 7 dollars an hour, but I think that's slightly over the going rate for adolescent sitters.

Answer 5

I have a ten year old sister who is about to turn 11 on April. I have to admit, she is good with her 5 month old brother, if she is forced to spend time with him. But she also gets distracted and she is after all, still a child. She would rather much leave the baby to whoever she can and play video games instead. Also, she can be very rough with the baby when she gets frustrated or stressed out, specially when the baby is screaming.

I would not suggest leaving them together. They both would need supervising. They're both underage and your baby needs an experienced care giver for safety reasons. You just never know what might happen.

Answer 6

sure. just make sure that she is always watching and listning for the baby crying, chokingg, etc. she int the same room with the baby. clean diaper, fresh milk. im fine, and im am 11 y/o i take care of my 13 m/o brother and 10 y/o sister all the time.(ocaisionaly my 14 y/o brother, long story bout that) and have been doing it for a long time. just make sure that u call and check up on her every ones and a while. whatever u do dont take advantage of her and go out for long periods of time. it really get tiresome when u do that to ur daughter. and pay some $$$, she will get mad if u make her do all that without a reward.

Answer 7

It would depend on her maturity level. I would do a trial half an hour before I left for 1 1/2 hrs. I would check with state laws also. I'm pretty sure that most states have laws on this, so I would check just to be sure.

Answer 8

i first started babysitting when i was 10 and it was my 9 mo. old little sister, well if you trust her then yeah let her and maybe she'll have fun and want to do it all the time and maybe she'll think shes being like her mommy taking care of a baby and she knows enough to stay out of trouble then let her

Answer 9

thats tough... i was babysitting at 11 but it wasn't a sibling... and 2 of the kids were old enough to help me with the younger ones. if she is responsible enough and you know that she can handle it it shouldnt be a problem but just remember it doesn't take much to overwhelm an 11yro.

Answer 10

I don`t think I would....I have an 11 year old daughter and a 8 month old son and I don`t think I would let her watch him without me being there...She`ll watch him while I do laundry or dishes or something but that`s it....At that age their attention span isn`t long enough to sit and watch a baby....But that is just my opinion...