1) I reiterate, there's only a dozen of them - "full time babysitter" is not an available job description yet.
And yet nuclear families & single parents manage to do better...
It's not about full-time babysiter, it's about him being given age-appropriate tasks that keep him busy and in LoS. It's about recognizing he needs to grow up a bit faster than a city kid Pre-ZA.
It's about letting him have some space, but also being a nag by reminding him (and his still-developing brain) about the dangers of wandering off because there are Walkers about...and maybe even arming him because there AREN'T armed adults all over. Kids have basically learned to heed warnings about wolves and lions throughout history, but the warnings need to be delivered. Repeatedly.
Its about teaching him basics of gun handling. I don't know anybody with an NRA card and kids his age who hasn't taught them something about playing with guns...and those in law enforcement seem to start earlier than most.