Is there a minimum age for babysitting in the UK?
Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to your question. There is no legal minimum age for babysitting in the UK. Parents must use common sense when deciding who to leave their children with, and this is usually read to mean that babysitters should be aged over 14 and ideally be 16 or over. You may be surprised to learn that there is no legal minimum age that a child can be left alone at home, although endangering a child by leaving them unattended is an offence. NSPCC guidelines recommend most children under 13 should not be left unsupervised for long.
