Children are usually old enough to babysit their siblings during the day at the age of 11 for short periods of time. Most children can`t stand being left alone overnight until they`re 16 or older. The „right“ or „minimum age“ to let someone start caring is a subjective issue. Factors such as the age and maturity of the child or dependent children and the maturity of the caregiver are important to consider, as well as the amount of care the child or dependent children require. This includes the number of hours and special care the child or children require. If your young children are all age-appropriate, well-behaved, and fairly independent, your eldest will have a fairly easy time when it`s time to start babysitting. The difference between babysitting at night and during the day is usually mental. This can be a very scary experience for young children. Most states don`t have laws setting an age requirement for child custody, and only some have guidelines on how old a child is before being left home alone. These guidelines range from six to 14 years. Here is a list of states with this policy: Colorado: 12*, Delaware: 12*, Georgia: 8*, Illinois: 14, Kansas: 6*, Maryland: 8, Michigan: 11*, Mississippi: 12*, Nebraska: 7*, New Mexico: 10*, North Carolina: 8, North Dakota: 9*, Oregon: 10*, Tennessee: 10* and Washington: 10*.
If your child finds himself in a situation that you have not discussed with him while keeping his siblings, will he know how to cope himself? Or are they more likely to panic when they don`t know what to do? SOURCE: Database Systems Corp. * These states do not set a specific age at which a child can legally stay home alone, but do make recommendations. I wouldn`t let an older child babysit overnight until they`re at least 16 and can drive safely. Because let`s face it, driving safely requires a lot of emotional maturity. You need to be able to follow the rules, be vigilant and avoid being impulsive. These are quite close to the skills needed to babysit. Tweens are simply not ready to take on the extra responsibility that comes with night babysitting. If you ask them if they are willing to babysit overnight, they might think they are. But once they are all alone in a dark and quiet house, they may feel very uncomfortable and scared, which is quite normal for this age.
Enrolling your child in a babysitting class is a great place to start. This way, they can acquire most of the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves and their siblings. The American Red Cross offers childcare and childcare classes to prepare course participants with universal skills and techniques that every babysitter should have. These courses are available online for those who prefer to study as they please or in a personal classroom with access to highly qualified teachers and classroom activities. These courses include basic care for infants and children, basic first aid, child behaviour, emergency protocols, leadership and age-appropriate activities. The Red Cross also offers CPR/AED first aid and certification courses. At what age can a child keep his siblings? In general, children as young as 11 or 12 years old can start caring for siblings for a short time. Start by leaving them for a short time and gradually increase them if they prove trustworthy. Don`t leave them alone overnight until your oldest child is at least 16. There are legal age restrictions for children who are left home alone. Some are guidelines and some states may have more definitive laws than others. An 11 or 12 year old may be willing to babysit in the afternoon or evening.
But babysitting at night is a very different situation, for which they are not quite ready in terms of maturity. *The age shown is the recommended minimum age at which a child can be left home alone instead of a minimum/legal age. Once you decide your child is old enough to babysit, you don`t want to just throw them away without guidance. You should plan to give them the best possible chance of success. As a general rule, I recommend that babysitters do not start working until they are 11 years old. This is the minimum age required to attend a Red Cross babysitting course. For an 11- or 12-year-old, I highly recommend signing up for a babysitting class before they start watching their siblings. For most children, an age between 11 and 14 is a good time to let their siblings babysit. However, the exact moment they are ready depends on a number of factors. You must have developed a good degree of foresight. It`s the ability to look to the future and determine „if I do this, this and that could happen or not.“ This is a primary executive function and something important that you should teach your children from an early age.
However, this part of the brain does not begin the maturation process until the age of about 12. With the right example and advice, these skills can be well developed in the second decade of life. But when you think about it, quite a few teenagers seem to be lacking in this area well beyond their twenties! Can they brush their teeth, take a glass of water, call you if there is a problem? The more your children are already able to take care of themselves, the less you have to worry about letting your siblings take care of each other. However, these age groups are only guidelines. Your specific situation depends on the maturity and responsibility of your eldest child. In addition to formal training, additional preparation is essential. Children can ask to help a friend observe a younger sibling, or volunteer to help a parent or neighbor with young children. Those hiring a younger session should ask the babysitter to appear earlier so they can show her around their home, provide emergency numbers, and explain the house rules or special needs of their children in care. When it`s time to leave your children alone for the first time, set them up for success. It can be helpful to write down all the resources and rules for your child and stick them in the fridge or somewhere they can easily access them if they don`t know what to do.
© washingtonpost.com 1996-2015 The Washington Post Leaving kids alone at home is a big deal, and it`s honestly surprising that Montana doesn`t have an age requirement. Although each child`s development takes place at different rates. I remember my parents had my siblings and me as babysitters until we were about 10 or 11, which was a good choice. My brother and sister were troublemakers, while I was of course an angel. However, things get harder when one of your other children is too young or has additional physical or mental needs. Treating a child with ADHD or autism will be much more difficult for a brand new babysitter, even if she is familiar with her siblings` condition. This means that you can leave your children home alone at any age, but we strongly advise against it. The DPHHS of Montana recommends that you look at your child`s maturity and measure to see if they are responsible enough to take care of themselves.
Some children are also more aggressive, anxious or impulsive than others. Any type of behavioral problem will make it harder to leave your children home alone. It doesn`t matter if the problem is with the babysitter or the young children they are supervising, as both can cause problems. Letting an older child babysit their siblings can be a great way to save money instead of paying a babysitter. But at what age is a child willing to babysit younger siblings? You should also consider other factors before deciding if they are willing to stay home alone. Different children will be ready at a younger or older age, depending on a number of additional factors. As your child grows and you plan to leave them home alone for the first time, check out Montana`s DPHHS guidelines.
