Reviewed by the Penny Time editorial team
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Babysitting for 13 Year Olds (and 11-12): Pay and Rules
Yes, a 13-year-old can babysit. Federal child labor law doesn't cover casual babysitting, so there's no national minimum age, and most kids start between 11 and 13. The average teen sitter earns $11.79 an hour (Payscale, 2026). A new 13-year-old usually starts at $8 to $12.
TL;DR: At 11, start as a mother's helper with a parent home. At 12, add short daytime jobs alone for families you know. At 13, most kids can handle a few solo hours, including early evenings. Take a Red Cross course first: it's built for ages 11 to 16.
Is your kid old enough to babysit?
The law sets almost no age line here. The US Department of Labor says kids under 14 can't hold most jobs, but they "may also perform work not covered by the FLSA such as completing minor chores around private homes or casual baby-sitting." So the federal answer is: any age.
A few states do set a line. Maryland is a clear example. A child under 8 may not be left alone, but a parent can leave them with "a reliable person at least 13 years old" (Maryland Family Law 5-801). Check your own state's rules before your kid sits for young children without an adult nearby.
So it comes down to readiness, and age is only a rough guide to that. The table shows how most kids move up.
Babysitting by age: what fits and what it pays
| Age | What the job looks like | Typical pay | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mother's helper: plays with the kids while a parent is home | $5 to $8 an hour (typical range) | Set below Payscale's teen bottom 10% ($7.96), since an adult is in charge |
| 12 | Mother's helper, plus short daytime jobs alone with one easy child | $8 to $10 an hour (typical range) | Payscale teen sitter average $11.79, bottom 10% $7.96 |
| 13 | Solo jobs of 2 to 4 hours, including early evenings and siblings | $8 to $12 an hour (typical range) | Payscale teen sitter range $7.96 to $19.77 |
| Any age | Red Cross course | Ages 11 to 16 (in person), 11 and older (online) | American Red Cross |
"Typical range" rows are our estimate for a new sitter at that age, set at or below the teen rates Payscale reports. Rates swing a lot by city, and a sitter with a course and a few happy families can charge more. For an exact number, get a fair hourly rate from our babysitting rate calculator. It adjusts for your kid's age, the number of kids and late hours.
What a babysitting job pays at 12 or 13
Here's how those hourly rates turn into real jobs.
| Job | Rate | Earned |
|---|---|---|
| 2-hour mother's helper shift after school | $6 an hour | $12 |
| 3-hour Saturday afternoon, one child | $9 an hour | $27 |
| 4-hour evening, two siblings | $12 an hour | $48 |
| One regular weekly family, 3 hours at $10 | $10 an hour | $30 a week, about $130 a month |
One steady family can put more than $100 a month in your kid's hands. That's a good reason to agree a savings split before the first job.
Babysitting at 11: start as a mother's helper
Eleven is when the Red Cross courses start, and it's a good age to learn the job with an adult nearby. A mother's helper reads books, plays outside and keeps little kids busy while a parent works from home or cooks. If something goes wrong, an adult is in the next room.
The pay is lower than real babysitting because the responsibility is lower. That's fine. Your kid is building references, and the families they help now are the ones who hire them for solo jobs at 12 and 13.
Babysitting at 12: short solo jobs
At 12, many kids are ready for an hour or two alone with one child they already know. Daytime works best: a Saturday afternoon while the parents run errands, or after school until a parent gets home. Keep the parent a short drive away and reachable by phone.
Toddlers and babies are harder than school-age kids. A 12-year-old who's great with a 7-year-old may not be ready to change diapers or settle a crying baby alone. Let the age of the child, not just your kid's age, set the limit.
Babysitting at 13: more hours and more kids
By 13, most kids can do solo jobs of a few hours, including early evenings and bedtimes, and look after two siblings. Two or three regular families can keep a 13-year-old busy every week.
Have your kid settle on a rate before the first call, so they can quote a number with confidence instead of saying "whatever you think." Charge a bit more for each extra child and for late evenings.
Readiness checklist
Age aside, your kid is ready for solo jobs when you can say yes to most of these:
- They've taken a babysitting course, or done several mother's helper shifts without problems.
- They know when to call 911 and when to call you or the parents instead.
- They can follow a bedtime routine, a snack plan and screen-time rules they were given.
- They stay calm when a younger child cries, refuses or gets hurt a little.
- They can say no to things outside the plan, like having friends over.
- They'll actually text you, and the parents, when something feels off.
Safety rules to set before the first job
- Only sit for families you or another trusted adult already know. No strangers' homes, and no jobs from public online posts.
- Before your kid leaves, you know the address, the hours and the parents' phone numbers.
- Your kid has a charged phone and texts you on arrival and when the parents get home.
- The parents leave emergency numbers, allergies and any medicines in writing.
- No pools, baths for babies or cooking on the stove unless the parents have shown your kid how and said yes.
- A parent, not a stranger, drives your kid home after an evening job.
Training: the Red Cross babysitting courses
The American Red Cross runs two courses for this age. Babysitter's Training is in person, built for ages 11 to 16, and covers feeding, diapering, picking up and holding children, safety and emergency response. Babysitting Basics is online and designed mainly for ages 11 and older. A course gives your kid real skills, and it gives parents a reason to hire them over a kid who hasn't taken one.
Babysitting usually sits alongside other neighbor work. See our guides to jobs for 13 year olds, jobs for 12 year olds and jobs for 11 year olds for pet sitting, yard work and more.
Turn babysitting money into a money lesson
Babysitting is often the first time a kid earns real money on their own. Agree a split before the first payday, like half to savings and half to spend. Let them spend their half how they like, even on things you'd skip. A $20 mistake at 13 costs far less than a paycheck mistake at 17.
Penny Time is a free app built for this age. Your child sees their own balance and takes on money quests on their own phone or tablet. You set an automatic allowance and can add what they earn from a job, with a note, so the money they worked for shows up next to the rest.
Educational only, not legal advice. Child labor and child supervision rules vary by state; check your state's rules for where you live.
Sources
- US DOL Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations
- Maryland Family Law 5-801: children under 8 and a reliable person at least 13
- Payscale: Teenage Babysitter Hourly Pay (updated February 2026)
- American Red Cross: Babysitting and Child Care Training, ages 11-16
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Federal child labor law does not cover casual babysitting, so there is no federal minimum age. Many 13-year-olds sit alone for a few hours, during the day or early evening, for families they know. A few states have their own rules: in Maryland, a child under 8 can be left with a reliable person who is at least 13.
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About $8 to $12 an hour for a new sitter. Payscale puts the average teen babysitter at $11.79 an hour, with the bottom 10% at $7.96, so a 13-year-old starts near the low end and moves up with experience. Charge a bit more for each extra child and for late evenings.
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Some can, for short daytime jobs with one easy child and a parent a phone call away. Most 12-year-olds start as a mother's helper first, with an adult in the house, then move to short solo jobs once they have taken a course and handled a few hours without problems.
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Eleven is too young for most solo jobs, but it is the starting age for Red Cross babysitting courses. The in-person Babysitter's Training course is for ages 11 to 16, and the online Babysitting Basics course is for ages 11 and older. At 11, mother's helper work is the right first step.
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The in-person Babysitter's Training course is for ages 11 to 16. It covers feeding, diapering, picking up and holding children, safety and emergency response. Babysitting Basics is an online course designed mainly for ages 11 and older.
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Through people you already know: relatives, neighbors, family friends and parents from school or church. Public online posts and sitter sites bring strangers, so skip them at this age. Let your kid start with one or two families you trust and grow by word of mouth.
Raise kids who understand how money works
Download the app, add your child, and connect their phone or tablet by scanning a code. About a minute, no email needed for kids.
How setup works for you and your child →
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Put this into practice this week
Add your child in Penny Time and, on their own phone or tablet, they can watch a real balance grow, take on quests, and ask for cash-outs you approve. Free for the whole family.