Do you have a gender preference when it comes to babysitting? Would you as easily trust a fourteen year old boy to babysit your child as a fourteen year old girl?

I don't see any reason to have a problem with it. This is one of the problems with our society. The sexualization of everything & absurd stereotypes. Abusers & molesters come in both genders. Male or female sitters, not an issue for me.

I think you should actually know the person you leave your child with. I've never gotten sitters from a friend of a friend of a friend..telephone pole signs or classifieds. I've known some girls I wouldn't have left my kids with in a million years. So it may be more of an individual thing.

No, I would have no problem with a boy babysitting.

As CeCe said, we knew who was looking after our daughter. If we had known I responsible 14 year old boy I don't think I would have had a problem.

I never did the babysitter for hire thing when my son was very little, but for one time. It was a neighbor boy, but he watched my son at home, with his mom there. Plus, when my son was over seven, a teen boy (16) watched him quite a few times but we knew that boy very well and had for years. For an older child, I don't see a big difference in a young man or a young woman. Maybe just me, but for a young child, before five years, if the sitter is alone, a young lady may be better because she is going to have more of a sense of nurturing if something goes wrong.

It depends. If it's a boy who I know and feel is responsible enough for the task, then so be it. But I wouldn't be as quick to hire a random teenage boy for a babysitting job as I would a random teenage girl. Let's be honest, boys are less attentive and more reckless when it comes to situations like this.

I wouldn't have a problem with it at all if I knew the boy. Ask my brother how many times he had to babysit my sister. My mother would tell me to watch her, then I would tell him. He was the one making bottles, changing diapers and he even started her on potty training. If I was busy or wanted to go somewhere, I damn sure passed her off to him. Heh.

No- because I'd know who was watching my children. I wouldn't hire a babysitter that I didn't know.

It wouldn't matter much I guess, but unless I knew of a boy who was available and responsible to sit with my kids....my first impulse would be to consider a girl for the job if I were hiring.

Less. The only time I'd be comfortable with a boy watching my kids is if he's family. 13, 14, 15, 16 year old boys IMO aren't as attentive, reliable or responsible. Especially in a case like mine, where there are 3 kids that would need to be sat with.

I was surprised that the first few responses seemed to immediately make the assumption of "sexual" molestation, as that was not my first thought based on the question. It certainly seems that people make their own assumptions and jump to conclusions regarding boys and babysitting. I used to babysit kids as a young teenager and there were never any concerns or complaints because people knew that I was responsible for my age (which is where I think the great divide is between girls and boys). Funnily enough, I was molested by a female babysitter when I was 12. So I really think the stereotypes regarding male vs female responsibility and sexual ethics are just that...stereotypes! In short, I think the personality of the individual and your level of trust for that person should be a factor in choosing a babysitter over their gender.