Would any parents hire a 14yr old babysitter?

Question

Would any parents hire a 14yr old babysitter?

Answer 1

I would not.

Answer 2

I know of a lot of people who babysat when they were as young as 12. I don't see why 14 is a big deal. As long as he/she seems responsible.

Answer 3

I would assume! I'm 14 and have been sitting since the age of 11 and watch kids from the age of 3 weeks OLD all the way to 11 years old anything after that they can care for themselves. I would suggest starting with family friends and just tell them that if they know of anyone looking for a sitter that you would be happy to help, but trust me when I say that it took me 2 years to have a soild job and by soild I mean someone calling me about once a month on average!

Answer 4

Depends on the maturity of the 14 year old. Some 14 year olds act more responsibly than adults while some act like 5 year olds. When I was 13 years old I made a small fortune babysitting and never had a fatality. I always cleaned up the beer cans, roaches and condoms before the parents came home and my reputation as a quality dependable babysitter was legendary. Sorry for the diatribe, to answer your question, h**l No!

Answer 5

No way. No matter how "mature for their age" they may be. A 14 year old is not capable of handling emergencies the way an adult can. The decision making part of their brains has not yet developed (not being funny, it's a scientific fact). They are not as strong as adults, therefore not able to fend off potential physical threats as well.

Kids should not supervise kids.

Answer 6

depends on the age of the child and how long I would be gone.

Answer 7

yes i would, but not right now cause my kids are too young for a 14 yr.old babysitter.

probably when the youngest is at least 4.

Answer 8

No I wouldn't, sorry.

Answer 9

I was babysitting for two families when I was 14.

The kids were (2, 5, and 9) and (3, 5, and 11)

Answer 10

I'm not a parent. I'm a babysitter.

It really depends on the family, the neighbourhood, and who you are. In some communities, it's common for younger teens to babysit, but in others you'd have a really hard time. And of course, the more mature you are, the better luck you'll have.

I started babysitting regularly when I was 13 or so. A lot of parents won't hire a babysitter that young, but there are some options for you:

- If you babysit in pairs with a friend, it makes it easier for you, and many parents will be more reassured (I went with my sister, which made it way easier to handle some of the more challenging kids)

- Try finding an older babysitter in your area (perhaps somebody who's graduating from high school soon, or in university) and see if you can job-shadow them for a bit. Then if they go out of town for university/college, you might stand a chance at getting their jobs

- Look for families with young babies who are very stressed out, and need extra help while the parents are at home. (if there's a Parents of Twins and Multiples or similar group, they might be a good bet). Sometimes you can play with an older sibling while the parents deal with the newborn, or help out with their kids so that the parents can cook dinner, go on short errands, clean the house, get other work done, etc. Once the families know you, and you've proved that you're responsible, mature, etc. then you'll be more likely to get hired by them (and by their friends!)

Answer 11

14 yr olds are mature enough but the parents should decide based also on trust and recomendations

Answer 12

If my child(ren) were older than 4 or 5 years old, yes I would for short periods of time if the 14 year old were mature.  For my situation now, no, as I have an almost 3 year old and I think he's too difficult and requires too much patience for a 14 year old.  Babies, no way.  Not enough patience or life experience.  I would hire one to help me out if I were running out for an errand for a  hour, but not an evening event where dinnertime and bedtime were her responsibility

Answer 13

it would also depend on how old the children are. i personally would not let a 14 yr old babysit my 6 month old. i would trust a reliable 14 yr old with my 3 year old.