Reply to Reasonable to Ask 19YO to Cover Childcare for 5 Days?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi all — looking for advice and perspective.

My husband and I will be traveling abroad for 5 days soon. Our 19-year-old daughter will be home from college during that time, and we’re hoping she can help with her younger siblings (ages 15, 13, 11, 9, 6, and 4) while we’re away. Just to be clear, our 18-year-old won’t be home, so it would really be her managing things for that stretch. The kids will be on school break, so she won’t have to worry about school runs or things like that.

She’s responsible and conscientious, and we’re confident in her ability to handle things, but we also don’t want to overburden her or make her feel like it’s “her job.” Our nanny will be out for a planned family obligation, and my MIL will be traveling with my BIL and his kids, so our usual support network isn’t available. We could ask other siblings or extended family, [b]but we’d really prefer not to inconvenience anyone unless it’s necessary.[/b]

We plan to compensate her, lay out a clear schedule, and provide all the emergency contacts and guidance she might need. That said, we want to be thoughtful about boundaries, fairness, and the logistics of having a single 19-year-old run the household for a few days.

Has anyone done something similar? Does this seem reasonable — having a college-age sibling as the main caregiver for a few days? Anything we should be thinking about in terms of boundaries, expectations, division of responsibilities, or backup plans?

Thanks so much for any insight — trying to navigate this in a way that’s reasonable, responsible, and keeps everyone’s dignity intact!
[/quote]

So you are not willing to "inconvenience" any one else but are seriously contemplating doing this to your own child? This is beyond awful and you know it OP. If you actually do not recognize how unfair and inappropriate this is, well, I just feel sorry for your oldest.[/quote]

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