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hi how old can u b to babysit kids, like my son is 14 half and very se3nsible but how old wud he av to b to babysit his younger brother who is 11 and little sister who is nearly 2, he as watched them both when i av nipped shop, wondered how old u av to b to babysit
hi thtanks for reply, well i av left my 14 half very sensible lad to watch his 10 yr old brother and 21 onth old just when nipped shop,only 5 min away, just curious to noi really, my 14 yr old very sensible so i no hes ok, see what over replys i get x
Hi Keira, This is a crazy one that came up lots when I worked at social services. There is no legal minimum age and the stance SS took when I worked there was that provided the child is responsible and mature enough and not left in the care of a child that has additional health needs then generally over 13 was fine to look after a child who doesnt require too much assistance.
Like for example a 14 year old with learning difficulties cant be left with a child under 16. Or a 15 year old cant be left with a younger child who needs special care etc. Its all very complicated and each case is judged in its own merit andin my experience so long as the parent could justify the decision to leave them it was ok. Your 14 year old is fine with the 11 year old if there are no special needs for either the 2 year old would be judged on its own merit depending on how long you leave them,if you have left contact details etc.
Having said that in my 4 years at SS we were called out on about 8-10 cases of children being left incare of other children some as young as 11 but nobody was ever charged with neglect. It really is agrey area.
Also there is a clear difference betweennipping to the shopasyou say and going out clubbing for example so I thinkbased on where I worked up north youwould be fine. But ALWAYS takeamobile with you soyou are contactable as that has got people in trouble in the past. :o) hope it helps a little :o)
hi than k u for reply, well my younger 2 kids dont av special needs, and i av left my 14 yr old with 10 yr old and 21 month old when nipped shop 2 min away or niiped to my area or av ad drivin lesson for an hour, since my court case ive heard nothin of ss, my ex sayin i leave kids on own all tym but i dont, i no why he is sayin it, and drug test negative so i av nothin to worry bout, but wud i get in trouble for leavin my 14 half son with 2 younger siblings for hour at most, they av no special needs,
i dont av a babysitter so cant even go olut, my dawter bk uni and my mum wudnt babysit as i cum in say 2am, my mum wont babysit tht late, xso i cudnt leave my 14 half yr old son to babysit whiole i went out clubbing, he is very sensible, wish i ad regular babysitter , id worry to much if i left my 14 yr old to babysit, i wudnt relax even tho i trust himx
Keira I couldnt give a definate answer because each case is taken in its own merit for various reasons such as, was the enviornmeent they were left in safe?! Could they contact you if needed? have you given clear instructions on what to do if something happens? is there a neighbour they can run to if in trouble? Are you too far to reach them in emergency etc but based on what you say I would say you are fine in the eyes of SS who I worked for as we had very clear instruction on thematter but dont know how other SS work.
its just so much easier to nip shop on my own instead of dragin all 3 kids out with me, since court and wot my ex sayin ive bin takin my little girl shop with me cos dont want to get into troublex
Yeah maybe that is best just while court is going on you dont want to give your ex any amunition.I have also had to be careful what I do whilst I am going through court just somy ex cant make any allegations.Its pathetic really as I know I dont do anything wrong but still feel pressured to do everything 'perfect' whilst the eyes of the court are on me.
yeah ur ryt, while court is on i aint riskin anythin, when are u bk in court again, i am october 5th, even tho i dont no why, and court av got my adress wrong, likverpool family court i av go even tho i dont liv nr liverpool, tht is to far for me to go, myy soliciter wrote to court saying theyhave made a mistake,x
Hi kiera, as littleangel says there is officially no legal age that a sibling can babysit. However a 21 month old is very young to be left with a 14yr old, however responsible they may be. I understand nipping to the shops for 5/10 mins, but any more than that is a huge responsibility for your son.
If anything were to happen, you would be held responsible. Taking 3 children to the shops I imagine is a chore, but strapping your little one into the buggy and leaving the older 2 for 30 mins would give you peace of mind.
I am wondering if any of your daughters old school friends live in the area, who would like to do some babysitting, if you wanted to go out in the early evening, perhaps once baby is in bed?
I am presuming you have not yet heard back from your solicitor with regards to changing the court location?
Keira my court date is 24th Sept :o( Liverpool is quite far as your a mancunian like me, arent you?! Cant wait formine to be over with then its my bday and then it HOLIDAY :o)
Personally I wouldn't leave a 14 year old with 21 month old. It's too much of a responsiblity, and should anything happen, no matter how responsible they are, they would surely panic in an emergency. If the child was to choke etc,
hi aw il b thinkin of u 24th hun, i acnt wait for my court hearin to b over with, main hearing is 21st november, i dont want ex to av contact with our little girl, we will, c, well bin takin my tablets wek and half, av bin feelin bit funny, is tht normal, goin b it dizzy and lightheaded, ive got see doctor next week bout how i av bin,x
hi i no wot u mean, when i nip shop i take my little girl with me now, only gon 10 min, leave 14 half yr old and 10 yr old home alone then i av left kids when i av ad drivin lesson for an hour, no1 else to watch um, im really stuck, my mum watches my little girl when i go to freedom programme, as thts couple hours ,
Hi keira i have been off for a while so am not clear about what tablets it is your taking that is causing you to feel dizzy, some tablets can cause these kind off side effects when you start taking them then it can settle down once you have been taking them for a bit, i would mention when you see the doctor next week, i don't now if you should be driving if you are feeling dizzy/funny.
In regards to leaving your little one with your 14 year old, as the others have said this is a very gray area, but i have known parents to be cautioned over leaving younger children (under 5's) with older siblings, though my 15, 13 and 12 year olds are all responisble, i have left them when i have nipped to the shops, i have always taken my youngest and still do and she is now 8 but that is partly due some of her characteristics.
How are you getting on with the Freedom programme keira?
Hi Keira I have had dizziness and stuff when I strat new meds usually for first couple of weeks I tend to take before bed so it not as noticible when I am asleep. see what your doc says though and check the list of side effects to make sure it is one of the normal ones.
I bet you cant wait for it to be over it drags on doesnt it. I will be testifying at my hearing so dreading it but it best for angel so I will do it. You will be fine at yours do you have a solicitor?
I think an hour can feel like a seriously long time to be responsible for a nearly 2 year old. What does your daughter do? Do they watch the telly or is she toddling about?
I think hazeleyes makes a strong point, if something serious was to happen, the finger would be pointed at you and it would be a huge responsibility on your eldest - he would feel awful. Is there someone older that could pop in too? A neighbour perhaps?
I hope the dizziness is passing and it is just your body getting used to the medication
I find this very interesting so googled....I can't upload the link however It said a woman from themes valley was arrested for leaving her 14 year old to baby sit his toddler sibling...it then went on to say there is no min age to leave a child alone (stupid i know) or a child to babysit within the uk law, but all children are the parents responsability until the age of 16 .
This may not be much help so hopefully someone else will be along to help out more soon