"My sister "Vesta" recently divorced her cheating asshole husband. Vesta was previously a stay-at-home-mom to "Molly," 5, and "Will," 8. She has since needed to go back to work full-time, and has had difficulty finding affordable and reliable childcare. I have a 15-year-old daughter, "Micah," who is trying to earn money for a car. Vesta has suggested that Micah can watch her kids after school. Micah really wants to do this, as she sees it as a win-win for herself, her aunt, and cousins."
"There's only so much you can do; you can't control how your sister feels. She might just need some time to cool off before you can have an actual conversation about this. If and when you do talk about it, I would try, as much as possible, to keep your focus on your daughter and not on Micah. You said it yourself: you feel that Micah really might not be equipped for this particular babysitting job. (Which is not her fault, either, of course!)"
A 15-year-old wants to babysit her sister's children to earn money, but a parent declined because one child has ADHD and is difficult outside school. The teen told the sister, who accused the parent of discriminating against her son. Emotions may need time to cool before discussing the situation. Conversations should center on the teen's readiness and safety rather than judgments about the child with ADHD. Some teens can learn to provide needed structure, but parents can refuse if uncomfortable. Consider alternatives such as training, supervised trial periods, or other childcare options.
Read at Slate Magazine
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