Summer is finally coming (YEAH) my kids attend a traditional calendar school. So that means I need to find something for them to do while I am at work. They are 6 & 8 yrs old. I have an offer from a neighbor girl (14) to watch them and earn summer money. But my delima is this... (I'm worried she already has her hands full with 3 siblings too) Is that too much for a teenager? She would have 5 kids ages 11,10,8,6,&5. She says she knows she can handle it. I would like to help her out since I know her parents aren't paying her for tending her siblings so I offered for her to help me with some things around the house instead. She knows I havent found another option for Summer daycare. She asks me everyday if I have decided what I'm going to do. While I do trust her, she has tended for me in the past and I know she does fun things with them like treasure hunts, picnics, & crafts. She never had all the other kids. I'm just not sure what to do. I am thinking about looking into Summer Rec programs or something similar. Has anyone used these types of daycare for Summer months? What did you think? Or can a 14 yr old girl be expected to do soooo much.
Colorado Parent has some great camps posted that you might want to check out. You can pick up their magazine at the library, walmart, king soopers - pretty much any major retailer around.
Blessings!
It sounds like she has exsperience just living in her home! But it will be diffrent with 5 kids. Maybe ask her if she has taken a baby sitting course.They offer them at many diffrent places. If she hasn't, ask her to take one before the summer.This course will teach her how to handle stressful situations, first aid and CPR.That way you will feel more comfortable knowing that she has had formal training. THEN,ask her to watch your kids AND her siblings one evening so the adults could go out. Just to see how she does. Then move it to a full day. All the kids seem older, I would be more worried if their was a baby or toddler. Legally she could take 6 kids, but at 14, I don't know the girl so I can't really say. I know that I was watching my 5 brothers and all there friend at 14, but everone is diffrent. I now have a daycare and 8 during the summer is my limit.
I agree to giving her a trial period or maybe just let her do it every other week so the kids don't get bored. My 14 year old could deinitely handle them all and throw in a toddler! Rec.'s have summer programs also that usually run from $85.00 - $100.00 per week per child.
I would give her a trial period and see how it works out, my 14 year old could handle that many kids, really she will only be watching the younger ones and supervising the older ones, and if nothing else look into other programs as a just in case, the school district might have some good suggestions.
When I was 14 I ended up watching 8 kids for one night. It was fine for a few hours, especially since the younger ones when to bed, but 5 may be too many especially all day. I was 16 when I babysat 3 kids over the summer. The thing is, a teenager doenst realize that it is a serious comittment to watch someone else's kids all day every day, and they arent prepared for what can happen. When I babysat over the summer, one of the kids tried to pick up the family dog, and it bit him in the face. I had been trained in CPR but it is different when there is a whole in the kids upper lip the size of a dime. I couldnt think clearly and come up with what to do...so I took him across the street to an adult who called an ambulance. It ended ok, but teenagers are not adults, so I would think about this really hard before you decide to go this way. It is a huge responsibilty. I would try it out, maybe over spring break or something. How does her mother feel about her watching extra kids? That is also a big responsibility. If something happens at thier home, it could be a problem.
Take it from me, I do part time daycare and five is a lot for me at once and I am 43!!! If your neighbor has her siblings to look after I would maybe find someone else. Granted the scope of kids is older so that is a positive. To be honest older kids are harder sometimes to watch as they get bored easier, need larger amounts of food at meals and so on. I would tactfully explain that she has a lot on her plate and you don't want to overwhelm her. I would say you will use her maybe on weekends or part time in an eveing however you should go with your other option, just my opinion.
I will be helping a friend of mine over the summer that has three boys, 11, 9 and 5 and my two who are 3 1/2 and 6 and it will only be a few days. Thankfully the older ones can go ride their bikes and so on and they are very well behaved kids, it is a lot though on anyone!
I think five is too many for a 14-year old. I know I wouldn't want to watch five kids because of all the work it would involve and I'm an adult.
Have you checked your local recreation center for day care options? A lot of them offer "day camp" for kids off track and during the summer. I know my neighbor takes her to Kearns Rec Center and they love it. They do all sorts of crafts and activities.
That is a lot for a 14 year old to handle. Maybe you should have her take a Saturday and have all the kids and see how she handles it. Of course she's going to say she can handle it because she wants to get paid, but if she takes them for a whole day, that may just change her mind. Another thing you could do is see if maybe she has a friend that could help and split the babysitting responsibility. Hope this helps. !!!!!
