Reality check please - DH left toddler with 13 yr step daughter (whose foot is in a cast)

[Anonymous]

So I just found out that DH left DS with his daughter who just turned 13 for 2 1/2 hours while he ran errands and picked our other daughter up. She has never watched our son before, is in a cast, and we have never ever discussed this. I would not have agreed to this. I am furious. He says I have no right to be and am over reacting. Please reality check me. Tell me if I'm out of line.

[Anonymous]

How old is DS?

[Anonymous]

You're overreacting. If he left the toddler with her for a weekend you'd be right, but a couple of hours? Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is DS?

Just turned 4. And he is home sick today.

[Anonymous]

Total over reaction!

[Anonymous]

You are out of line. Thirteen years old babysit all the time. And she is his daughter, not some stranger.

[Anonymous]

Sounds fine to me. I was babysitting infants and toddlers when I was 13.

[Anonymous]

My DD babysat at 13 for kids as young as 6 months. I see no issue with this.

I don't see the foot in the cast as an issue. I mean, people work with casts all the time. I suppose if it was a fresh break, that might be a bit painful. But again, 2.5 hrs. seems reasonable enough for a person with a casted foot.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know that I would be furious. A few daylight hours with a 13 year old seems reasonable to me. The cast is concerning but it’s hard to say if that would be a dealbreaker for me without knowing how easily the 13yo can get around and how active the toddler is. In any case, he definitely should have checked with you first. I can understand being upset about that aspect of it regardless of who is watching your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds fine to me. I was babysitting infants and toddlers when I was 13.

However, I should add, he should have let you know.

[Anonymous]

If she kept him contained in one room, I would see nothing wrong with it for only a couple of hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds fine to me. I was babysitting infants and toddlers when I was 13.

However, I should add, he should have let you know.

Disagree. He's a parent, he can decide that his kid is safe for a few hours with his sister in charge. The idea that he should have to run that by his wife is infantilizing.

[Anonymous]

Total over-reacting. Even in a cast, she can get a toddler out of harm's way or call 911. She didn't take the baby to a water park. Stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know that I would be furious. A few daylight hours with a 13 year old seems reasonable to me. The cast is concerning but it’s hard to say if that would be a dealbreaker for me without knowing how easily the 13yo can get around and how active the toddler is. In any case, he definitely should have checked with you first. I can understand being upset about that aspect of it regardless of who is watching your kid.

I didn’t see the part about your DS being 4. I assumed you meant 2 maybe 3 by toddler. Now I definitely think you’re overreacting.

[Anonymous]

OP here. She is in a cast and my son is sick. How could she even properly care for him? She has never babysat a kid before, doesn't live here full time and is not used to him.