How to Balance Work and Child Care

How to Balance Work and Child Care

Will children suffer if their mothers are employed?

Will children suffer if their mothers are employed?

If a mother can afford to stay at home, should she?

If a mother can afford to stay at home, should she?

At what ages is it important for a mom to be at home with her children?

At what ages is it important for a mom to be at home with her children?

Do pre-teens and teens need their moms at home more than young children?

Do pre-teens and teens need their moms at home more than young children?

Should parents let potential employers know they will need time off for things like children's doctor visits?

Should parents let potential employers know they will need time off for things like children's doctor visits?

What kind of childcare arrangements are the best?

What kind of childcare arrangements are the best?

Is it important that childcare be licensed?

Is it important that childcare be licensed?

What is a good ratio of adults to children in childcare?

What is a good ratio of adults to children in childcare?

Should parents make unannounced visits to see their children in childcare?

Should parents make unannounced visits to see their children in childcare?

Can neighbors and family members provide good child care?

Can neighbors and family members provide good child care?

How old should babysitters be?

How old should babysitters be?

How old do children have to be before they can stay home without supervision?

How old do children have to be before they can stay home without supervision?

How to Balance Work and Child Care

How to Balance Work and Child Care

How can parents provide healthy meals if both have jobs outside the home?

How can parents provide healthy meals if both have jobs outside the home?

What do parents do if they are too tired from work to help their children with homework?

What do parents do if they are too tired from work to help their children with homework?

Understanding The Importance Of A Child Safety Seat

Understanding The Importance Of A Child Safety Seat

Rear-Facing Car Seat Facts

Rear-Facing Car Seat Facts

Forward-Facing Car Seat Facts

Forward-Facing Car Seat Facts

Booster Car Seat Facts

Booster Car Seat Facts

Seat Belt Safety Facts

Seat Belt Safety Facts

Understanding the Importance of Bike Safety

Understanding the Importance of Bike Safety

Share the Road to Prevent Accidents

Share the Road to Prevent Accidents

Bike Safety Tips For Adults

Bike Safety Tips For Adults

Creating a Bicycle Friendly America

Creating a Bicycle Friendly America

Be A Bike Safety Role Model

Be A Bike Safety Role Model

Tricks To Reduce Rushing Through Homework

Tricks To Reduce Rushing Through Homework

Monitoring Homework As A Working Parent

Monitoring Homework As A Working Parent

View more ...

How old should babysitters be?

National Research Center for Women and Families president Dr. Diana Zuckerman offers advice about the age a babysitter ought to be.

Print

Transcripts

Host: How old should babysitters be?

Dr. Diana Zuckerman: It's a funny thing that we trust our children with babysitters who are sometimes really just children themselves and I have noticed this just in my own life. My children started being asked to baby-sit when they were ten and 11 and 12 years old and by the time they were 16, nobody was asking them anymore. Really, it depends on the maturity of the child, but don't expect a ten or 11 year old child to be much of a babysitter. If what you are looking for is somebody to play with your child, watch TV with your child, watch a video with your child then you know a ten, 11, or 12 or 13 year old is probably going to be fine, but if your child has any kind of special needs at all or if you are expecting the child to take your child -- babysitter to take your child to the park or some other place where they might have to deal with other strangers that they don't know in a situation that might be uncomfortable for them or even scary, don't expect a 12 year old to be able to handle that. I actually have a -- I remember when my daughter was one of her first babysitting jobs an adult came up to her in the park where she was babysitting two children and the adult told her that they had come to visit the family and the family was expecting them and the family -- it was actually true, but the family had forgotten to tell her and she went to a panic not having any idea if this was true or not. So, people do have to be a lot more careful about what they are trusting, an 11 or 12 year child to do and I think we have to rethink what we expect from a babysitter. Most of the time we just want somebody to play with our children, but we also want to make sure that our kids are safe.

What criteria should my nanny meet?

What criteria should my nanny meet?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing an independent search?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing an independent search?

How do I narrow down the pool of applicants?

How do I narrow down the pool of applicants?

What kinds of questions should I ask?

What kinds of questions should I ask?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using an agency?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using an agency?

What should I consider when doing an independent search?

What should I consider when doing an independent search?

How many nannies should I interview?

How many nannies should I interview?

 Are there tips to making an interracial or intercultural relationship work any differently than any other relationship?

Are there tips to making an interracial or intercultural relationship work any differently than any other relationship?

How to Make Your Maternity Wardrobe Work for Nine Months

How to Make Your Maternity Wardrobe Work for Nine Months

Balancing Work and Family

Balancing Work and Family