Why Older Children Shouldn’t Babysit Younger Ones

When firstborn children start to get older, many parents can finally breathe a sigh of relief — in addition to helping around the house, they can also take care of younger siblings and give their parents some free time. However, it is not always beneficial to make the older ones the caretakers of their siblings, as this can lead to a series of negative outcomes.

we, from awesome.club, we want to discuss this matter with you. And show that this practice can bring bad results in the long run. follow up.

Obviously, taking on some responsibility won’t hurt your eldest child. But there’s a big difference between having him keep an eye on the baby while you cook dinner and having him take care of his siblings for hours without your supervision.

If your child agrees to this, no problem. But all too often, older children have no choice but to grow up to “be in charge”. Consequently, this task becomes an unwanted burden for the firstborn. There must always be a limit. Your child shouldn’t be helping so much that he ends up acting like another parent.

Also, don’t forget that no matter how mature they are, older children are often still children and not ready to take on so much responsibility. They are not able to handle some situations and if an accident occurs, the blame will always fall on them.

Older children can very conveniently end up babysitting their own siblings if the parents cannot afford professional caregivers. But in that case, you shouldn’t expect the same level of devotion and professionalism from a nanny. Being a bit of a child themselves, they obviously haven’t been trained to change diapers and don’t know how to feed babies properly or how to react to a child’s tantrums.

While having the help of older children is almost inevitable in large families, it is essential to ensure that the tasks that the eldest performs are chosen according to their age — the child can help around the house, read to the siblings before bed, play with them for a few hours and do other simple things.

An only child has far fewer obligations than a child with younger siblings. After doing their routine chores like homework or cleaning their room, the only child can go out to play with friends, watch a movie, or do whatever they want. But kids with younger siblings often don’t make time for themselves very easily.

For older children, there is always someone to look after, someone to help and someone to play with. And parents often make them abandon their typical teenage activities just because they need help.

Nonetheless, it is important that your children maintain their own childhood and have fun instead of changing diapers, potty training, checking homework, etc. So letting kids be kids while they can is probably the best option for everyone.

Forcing your older child to take care of your siblings on a regular basis can cause resentment. Firstborns may feel that you are putting too much pressure and stress on them. As a result, they may begin to develop negative feelings towards their younger siblings.

Furthermore, when left alone with their siblings, older children have to play an authoritative role, which younger children do not always accept and respect. This can cause problems between these siblings and lead to arguments and even fights.

Parents often expect older children to take care of younger siblings for free, believing that this is just one of their common tasks. But most teens and tweens don’t agree with that. They see that professional nannies are paid for the same activities and that doesn’t seem fair to them.

If you’re going to use your kids as babysitters for siblings occasionally, there’s no need to talk about money. But if babysitting is a “regular event” for them and takes up a large part of their life, it is better to arrange some sort of compensation🇧🇷

And it doesn’t have to be cash. You can let them use your car if they are old enough, grant them some additional privileges, or buy a desired item. It is not just a form of payment, but a form of recognition.

In your opinion, can/should siblings take care of each other? Are there any impediments? We would like to read stories about how these issues are handled in your family. Tell us in the comments.