But what if the grandparents live many hours drive away (6 - 10 hours depending on the g-parents!)????
Could your students understand that energetic, talented, trustworthy teenagers are a great choice if otherwise the parents do not get to go out at all?

I never thought that babysitters were "raising" my kids.  They were just making sure that everything was OK.

I babysat when I was a teenager and I have to say I took it pretty seriously.  It was good for me to get a sense of what it requires to be resposible for a kid.