How young is too young to babysit?

potential babysitter to the parents that wish to hire them. What many parent don’t think about is the responsibility they are placing on a babysitter – both mental and physical. The question must therefore be, is this individual strong enough to deal with that? In the case of family in an Atlanta suburb last week, it seems not. An 11-year-old is being charged with felony murder and child cruelty in the death of the 2-year-old girl she was watching. Little Zyda White suffered a head injury and blunt force trauma to her torso and buttocks while she was in the care of her 11-year-old sitter. So far, babysitting appears free of government regulations. But Sittercity.com, which links parents with prospective sitters, insists babysitters be at least 18. “It’s so specific to the individual, but we’ve set that age at 18 because of the responsibility level and maturity level versus a person in their lower teens,” says Melissa Marchwick, chief brand officer for Sittercity. The truth is, babysitting — much like parenting — is largely learned on the job. Leaving your kids in the hands of someone else is almost always somewhat of a leap of faith. Nonetheless, it’s always important to do as much as you can as a parent – compelete the correct background checks and get the right references, and do your best to leave your child is the best possible hands.]]>