Is it ok to ask if nursery staff babysit in their spare time?

[KatnissMellark]

Would really like to go out for a meal with DH but we have few people to ask and really at the moment they are tied up with their own stuff and I don't want to be a burden.

Do nursery staff sometimes do babysitting out of hours? (Obviously we'd pay a reasonable rate...open to suggestions of what that would be too)

Post on some local mum groups for recommendations for babysitters. Someone will be able to give you some names.

Some do, no harm in asking. Annoyingly at our nursery they aren't allowed.

We always used nursery staff. They had to log with with nursery, but it made perfect sense as the DC's knew them really well.

You can ask, some settings allow it and some have policies that prevent staff from doing so, you won't know unless you speak with the manager.

We always used nursery staff too, and still do even though both dcs are at school. DCs love it when the nursery staff come round

I’m not sure of the rules. I’d assume that it was against the rules but one nursery worker who formed a lovely bond with my dd once offered to look after her if we ever needed it. I’m not sure if she was being serious as she said it in an off the cuff way and we never took her up on it.

Me and DH have booked a day off together before now to be able to get some time together as we don’t have many options for childcare. We had a lovely spa day and a lunch meal whilst the dc were in nursery for the day. It was bloody lovely and felt like a real treat. Maybe something like that could be an option.

Yes, if the nursery is happy then go for it. Wages are probably pretty low so it's win-win.

Worth a try.
We use sitters agency. Pay about 8 quid an hour

We (and others I know) used nursery staff. One is still someone who stops to talk to ds now and he's 12!

Ours offer babysitting, it’s very handy.

Mine used to have a list of staff who did this.

Most nurseries don't allow it now due to safeguarding rules. (If you get too close to the family you wouldn't necessarily report any concerns).

I used to babysit when I worked in a private nursery.

Me and DH have booked a day off together before now to be able to get some time together as we don’t have many options for childcare. We had a lovely spa day and a lunch meal whilst the dc were in nursery for the day. It was bloody lovely and felt like a real treat. Maybe something like that could be an option.

We have done this before and it was fab! However at the moment all our holiday is being used to have IVF, which isn't bloody working (2 early miscarriages in 3 months). Hence the desire to spend a few hours together.

I think I'll ask. They can only say no.

Have you checked the nursery terms and conditions (that might not be what it's called!). It's in my dd's nursery's one. Babysitting not allowed at ours.

Ask. A lot of nursery staff really appreciate the extra money tbh.

I would look at the nursery policy first though and if it's not allowed ask your favourite member of staff discretely, otherwise they might be forced to say no!

Otherwise if you know anyone who has a nanny, they often do extra babysitting as well.

Or childcare.co.uk to source your own babysitter or sitters.co.uk if you want someone who has been pre-checked etc.

Dd's key worker was our one and only babysitter. Most staff at the nursery did, as a pp said, great for supplementing crap wages plus your dc know them well.

Www.sitters.co.uk

We use a fab lady from our boys’ nursery. She’s brilliant, knows the boys and is fully first aid trained. What’s not to like?

When I worked in a nursery, we all used to do it. This was about 10 years ago though. No harm in asking.

Ours are allowed to but it's made clear on a form that the nursery don't take any responsibility for anything to do with it.