should children babysit children

Should children babysit children?

For me, there is nothing more troubling than the case of the 12-year

old child who is accused of killing 17-month old Shaloh Joseph. The

child had to baby-sit both the toddler and his 10-year old brother for

about 12 hours each day while his mother and the toddler's parents

went to work during the winter break from school. He became annoyed

with her and may have killed her by using a bat on her head. Now, as

Miami Herald articles have detailed, the boy could be prosecuted as an

adult.

As a working parent, I know firsthand the battle to keep our kids

occupied and safe while we're at our jobs on those days off from

school. For some, adequate and affordable child care feels so out of

reach. And too often, in my job I have interviewed parents who admit

to leaving kids home alone during breaks from school.

Whose fault is it that this child didn't have the maturity to handle

the situation he was put in? We need to look at the child care system

we have in place, educate parents on their alternatives and give them

more affordable options. Should children babysit other children? At

what age is it okay?

I bet there are lots of kids home alone today on a school holiday

while their parents are at work. Will parents continue to feel they

have no alternatives to leaving their children home alone on days off?

Do you feel employers are doing enough to acknowledge these child care