Hi Sal, you said one thing with was just flat out wrong.
I know I shouldn't be judging
. Would you be so kind as to point out a single decision you have made which did not call for an act of judgement. God doesn't tell us not to judge, He tells us not to judge by a false standard. In this case your judgement is spot on. You talking about going away for a weekend, that's roughly 48 hours and are concerned about leaving a child (16) in charge of a child (13) as well as your home and all it contains.
Personally, in you place, I would see if there are any nanny services in your area. It will cost more but the quality of care is usually a lot higher and most agencies vet their nannies by doing backround checks as a minimum standard. Some go further and check out references. If you have a mature relative, as Lucy suggested, that is also a good choice.
No matter how mature a 16 year old may seem a weekend is a long time. You might also see if there is a mom's group in your church. Many times mom's need a break, as you well know. You may be able to arrange a deal where a mom takes your kids in for a weekend and in turn you do the same for them. If there is not such group in your church perhaps after your trip you can start one. As you know full well, mom's more readily trust other mom's do to shared experience. This might also give your kids a playmate for the weekend too.
To the mature 16 year olds in the forum, your services are valuable but they are best for short term such as a work day or date night. For those that wish to pursue a higher level of childcare such as a weekend I recommend developing a list of callable resources you can tap into should a situation arise. This would include your own mother and perhaps older women that have taken an interest in mentoring in your own church. I know you think your ready to handle all situations but even a seasoned parent can and does come across situations where they are at a loss. Also contact your local fire department and cpr certified. Its usually free and it shows a lot of maturity to be able to present such credentials to a prospective client. Also if you want to take care of dependent children (infants and toddlers) see if there is a learning annex that offers early childhood development. You may need to take a course through a community college which would require your parents to be involved.
In Christ,
Bishop SEH
