Through most of the 20th century, parents wanting to go out for the evening would hire a teenager from the neighborhood, or a friend's daughter, to supervise their children. Girls would often start babysitting at about twelve years old, learn responsibility and child care, and earn a small bit of spending money. I earned my first babysitting money at eleven, and had a full time job watching three girls the summer I was 15. I also remember idolizing several teenage girls (and one boy) who babysat me when I was younger.
You don't see much of that these days. Babysitters are expensive, and parents who can afford it prefer to hire adults. Many young teens aren't used to staying home by themselves, much less caring for younger children, and they have fewer siblings to give them experience. Besides, when they are old enough to work, they can get better-paying jobs. Read about the bygone rite of passage of babysitting at the Atlantic. Or if you hit a paywall, at Archive. -via Metafilter
(Image credit: Jared eberhardt)
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I recently chatted with the head of a karate school/daycare center who was talking about the evenings when the school stays open late for parent date nights. He mentioned that the parents found that the event, though not available as flexibly as a babysitter, was cheaper than hiring a babysitter. Also, the child came home happy, exhausted, and ready for bed.
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It would make a good horror movie, too.
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I just realized that the headline and the picture make this look like a true crime story. It's not about any particular babysitter.
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