At what age did you leave your older child home alone with a younger sibling?

1. 79

   Mommy Needs a Napposted 11 years ago

   At what age did you leave your older child home alone with a younger sibling?

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2. 46

   Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

   My oldest was an intense little mother by about 4.5 years old. She began to babysit other children by twelve. I think that by 7 she could watch her 4 yr old brother. But that alone would only be with parents next door or so, and then only for a few minutes.And her little brother was a very very good boy.
   
   I think this is a good question, thank you for getting me to think about it.

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3. 60

   productsforall1posted 11 years ago

   Well I have a 14 year old that I feel is to young to watch a three year old. I think the youngest sibling I would let watch my three year old is a 16 year old ! Because right now my 14 year old is to immature. Also I think there is a law of some sort that says a 16 year old is old enough to be left alone. I think?

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4. 66

   WordCrafter09posted 11 years ago

   I never left any of them with any older sibling.  My two oldest children were very responsible (for kids, and even compared to a lot of adults), but a) things can happen that children just aren't prepared for, and b) I just don't think it's a good idea to leave a younger sibling with an older one (for a number of reasons). 
   
   With my older ones so frequently calling my attention to something a younger one needed (like that a blanket was falling off or that a baby had climbed on the top of the crib rail, for example); and seeing my eldest son keep an eye of his little brother when getting on/off the school bus; I was confident that they had good sense and were tuned into watching out for the little ones.  Today they're grown up and I'm still proud of how they do what they can to watch out for one another or help one another.  On the other hand, when kids are little it's very natural and easy for a bigger one to take advantage of being bigger (even if just to be a little more "take charge" than is good for the little one).  One of my big things when they were young was that I didn't want to emphasize who was "the big one" or "the little one".  I wanted them to feel as if they were treated individually and not within the context of their birth order, age or size as compared to their siblings.  That doesn't mean I treated a two-year-old the same as a six-year-old.  I just mean I treated them individually and separate from within the context of whoever/whatever they had for siblings.   

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   1. 46

      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Awesome points. But they are most magnificently different. Why not accept and let them grow?
      My eldest loves my youngest so much that it makes me cry, and they are in their twenties plus

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   2. 79

      Mommy Needs a Napposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Some good points. My fifteen year old twins know that if they are babysitting then its because I asked instead to told and that mom will be paying them for the service.  I pay extra if I come home to clean, happy kids who had fun while I was away.

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5. 82

   peachpurpleposted 11 years ago

   when my daughter ( the older ) is 15 years old. My son was 3 years old then.

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6. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   
   
   It all depends upon many factors and variables.  It also depends upon the emotional age/intelligence of the oldest siblilng.  It further depends upon if the oldest sibling is always expected to be a parentified child watching the younger sibling/siblings a la Duggar 24/7/365 or it is a sporadic/emergency occurrence. Lastly, another influential factor is the older sibling relationship to the younger sibling/siblings. Is the older sibling warm/loving/respectful towards the younger sibling/siblings or is he/she cold/hostile/angry/distant/abusive towards the younger sibling/siblings?
   
   Some older siblings are so immature that they cannot be trusted to watch a sibling even at the ripe old age of eighteen. If a parent assigns that particular oldest sibling to watch a younger sibling/siblings, some type of catastrope could occur. Frankly, there are some older children, regardless of their age, who SHOULDN'T watch  a younger sibling/siblings as it ISN'T in their nature to do so. Yes, there are teenaged oldest siblings who feel that watching younger siblings even for a short period is hampering their style.
   
   Then there are older siblings who are abusive towards their younger sibling/siblings. Such siblings should not be trusted to be alone with a younger sibling/ siblings for any period of time. Have some other trusted relative/friend look after the younger sibling. 
   
   Then there is the older siblings who LOVES nothing better than to watch a younger sibling/siblings.  Such siblings, regardless of age, are natural parents.  They actually ENJOY being with & interacting with their younger sibling/siblings.  If parents have such older children, TREASURE them for they are a rarity!
   
   As regards to age, under 15 years of age is WAY TOO YOUNG to watch a younger sibling/siblings.  Children under the age of 15 AREN'T often equipped emotionally, psychologically, nor mentally to watch a younger sibling/siblings for any period of time.  However, there may be some exceptions depending upon an older sibling's innate maturity quotient and if he/she has an exceptionally stable psychological makeup.

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