Hi all, not sure if this belongs in this area but I figured I would try.
Does anyone know how old a child must be do babysit in the state of California? I know there is no legal age on leaving children home alone (my kids are WAY too young) but what about babysitting?

The reason I ask is because the boss wants to take hubby and I out to dinner and his step daughter wants to babysit. This girl is 13 (will be 14 next month) and has 4 younger siblings that she has been helping with and babysitting for a while. She is very mature or hubby and I would never consider it... in fact our kids have RARELY been left with a sitter ever and we are very choosey about who has access to our kids. For this particular evening the teen would come to our home about 6:30 and have the kids no more than 2-3 hours. Dinner is to take place about 6 blocks away (SMALL town) and the teens younger siblings will be with their own grandma. There are two homes on this property, my landlady lives behind us and she and her partner will be home (20 feet away) during this outing.

We are trying to find a relative to babysit but so far everyone is working. Also, we do trust that this girl can handle it and we both feel that we would like to give her a shot. My kids are easy at almost 2 and almost 5 years old, so its not like we would be leaving her with an infant or special needs child or anything. And remember, we are literally 2 minutes away and the landlady is 30 seconds away.

Hi all, not sure if this belongs in this area but I figured I would try.
Does anyone know how old a child must be do babysit in the state of California? I know there is no legal age on leaving children home alone (my kids are WAY too young) but what about babysitting?

The reason I ask is because the boss wants to take hubby and I out to dinner and his step daughter wants to babysit. This girl is 13 (will be 14 next month) and has 4 younger siblings that she has been helping with and babysitting for a while. She is very mature or hubby and I would never consider it... in fact our kids have RARELY been left with a sitter ever and we are very choosey about who has access to our kids. For this particular evening the teen would come to our home about 6:30 and have the kids no more than 2-3 hours. Dinner is to take place about 6 blocks away (SMALL town) and the teens younger siblings will be with their own grandma. There are two homes on this property, my landlady lives behind us and she and her partner will be home (20 feet away) during this outing.

We are trying to find a relative to babysit but so far everyone is working. Also, we do trust that this girl can handle it and we both feel that we would like to give her a shot. My kids are easy at almost 2 and almost 5 years old, so its not like we would be leaving her with an infant or special needs child or anything. And remember, we are literally 2 minutes away and the landlady is 30 seconds away.

By what you discribed I really don't see a problem, 13, 14 is the average age to start babysitting and it sounds like she has some experience under her belt. Add to the fact responsible people will be nearby and the time isn't for very long it sounds like a great opportunity.

Thats what I was thinking too. Oh Apparently she is CPR/Infant CPR trained, and basic first aid and saved her own brother from choking last year! She's trainging to be a Jr. Lifeguard... heck this kid knows more about saving lives than I do!

Thats what I was thinking too. Oh Apparently she is CPR/Infant CPR trained, and basic first aid and saved her own brother from choking last year! She's trainging to be a Jr. Lifeguard... heck this kid knows more about saving lives than I do!

Heck she's better trained than I was when I started. I started at 13, babysat down the street from the house for a family that had a 2, 5 and 7 yr. old. The woman was pregnant and I regularly babysat until she delivered and then had teh practice and what not behind me to prepare with the baby (my sister was also 8 yrs. younger than me). Since they were close to home for a while until they moved (and I was a big girl then..lol) my mom was available. I do remember having to call her once when the baby was very very little. I couldn't calm him down and it was driving me a little crazy.

Also I have a son who was 15 in Jan. Last summer he babysat for two boys that were kindergarten and age 3 or 4. You mold the younger ones. He did fairly well unless they didn't listen to him. I had to tell him he had to be firmer than he was. He would call me when he had issues and a discussion on the phone is all it took to straighten things out.