Reported to social services and completely untrue

moomoomama27

nattyt wrote: »

I know I looked after my brother and my sister and the neighbours kids on occasion at that age. I agree it can all just go too far!! Also I can remember a friend at school having a baby at 15 and looking after her overnight :eek:.......what would the neighbours say!??!!

Exactly, there seems to be alot of unfounded hysteria on leaving older siblings to watch younger ones! Whatever happened to common sense, and knowing your own childs capabilities!

I wouldn't worry, you've done nothing wrong, except to teach your children responsibility and help them mature into helpful adults! You bad parent you!!!!

neverdespairgirl

I looked after my younger siblings in the evening when my parents were out from the age of about 14 - my sisters are 2 and 6 years younger than me, and my brother's 7 years younger. I always had a phone number for where they were, and if there had been any problems (which there weren't) the neighbours were told that I was babysitting so in case of emergencies, they were around, too.

wageslave

pigpen wrote: »

But the children in question at 3.5 and 6.. they aren't babies.. besides.. thousands of 15 year olds have their own babies and do perfectly well.

At 15 I had my sisters more than my mother did!

Three and six are babies. Jeesus. On what planet is a three year old not a baby?

Pigpen at fifteen you were a CHILD and were entitled to be treated as such

Just because our mothers got it wrong doesn't mean we should

Fifteen is too young for that responsibilty.

gizmo111

wageslave wrote: »

Three and six are babies. Jeesus. On what planet is a three year old not a baby?

Pigpen at fifteen you were a CHILD and were entitled to be treated as such

Just because our mothers got it wrong doesn't mean we should

Fifteen is too young for that responsibilty.

And what is wrong with a 15 yr old taking some responsibilty? Very shortly they will be looking for employment whether it be part time at college or full time.

lostinrates

wageslave wrote: »

Three and six are babies. Jeesus. On what planet is a three year old not a baby?

Pigpen at fifteen you were a CHILD and were entitled to be treated as such

Just because our mothers got it wrong doesn't mean we should

Fifteen is too young for that responsibilty.

And yet, they can have sole care in a year from then for their own. I think part of helping young people...children...become adults is to furnish them with some responsibility. I wouldn't leave a baby with a 15 year old for a weekend, I would for a late night out, with ohone numbers left and a neighbour made aware. I think that not giving older children reposnsibility is part of what makes it hard for today's younger adults (I include myself here, though I'm getting too old to be ''younger'') to take responsibility for themselves and their actions.

Ideally, I wouldn't see a fifteen year old with a baby of her own either, but then, I also wouldn't take it from her if there were no reason other than age to do so...so if her responsible peer wants to earn £20 baby sitting, it seems ok.

edoit: caveat! I am not a mother, but I once was an enthusiastic babysitter.

SpikyHedgehog

OP, is the neighbour you suspect of making the complaint a tenant of the housing association as well? You could talk to your housing officer about her behaviour.

Errata

Crikey - chances are that a fifteen year old has grandparents who were out working for a living at the age of 14, possibly looking after children. Don't tell me 15 year olds today are more stupid, less mature and with less common sense than their grandparents had at 14, unless the world is going backwards.

VestanPance

A 15 year old babysitting one evening is fine. Expecting them to babysit over a weekend while you go off on holiday with the boyfriend is going too far I'd say. They're not that childs kids to look after.

Not sure what the legal stand point is, but I would have thought that nobody in the home over the age of 16 (which in UK terms is your first legal adult age for many things) would be dodgy legal ground.

onlyroz

We're talking about a 15-year-old supervising for a few hours, while the kids are in bed, and the mother is just up the road. I don't see a problem with this.

Regarding the neighbour, the best thing you can do is to smile cheerily at them and comment on the lovely weather. They are trying to get a response out of you and are probably just dying for you to confront them. If you act unconcerned then you've won.

moomoomama27

wageslave I pity your children, they must spend their life in a bubble with a mother/father who's every uttering is an F word, and you think you can get on your high horse about a responsible 15 yr old babysitting!