Do people actually use babysitters?

[Babyboomtastic]

Do people actually use babysitters? I don't mean a close family member or friend having the kids or coming over to babysit, but more in the old fashioned sense - hiring and paying someone to look after your child?

I see it mentioned on here a lot, but I've not known anyone IRL who has used a babysitter. One of my friends does some occasional babysitting (locally to her, not in my area) but it doesn't seem to be the done thing here.

My kids are adults now, but yes we used paid sitters because one set of gps too far away, and the other abroad. I wasn't prepared to never go out for 15 years.

Tbh if I was desperate and DGPs weren't able ask the young people I know before I'd go to an online service.

Young people being the neighbours older teens or neices.

We do, and did, regularly.

DH and I are immigrants, we don't have family in the UK, and we both work full time, have moved around for work, currently commute and don't tend to know lots of the local teenagers. If I didn't pay for a sitter, we'd never go anywhere and sometimes we have both had work events. I once flew my mum over to London for 4-5 nights because I wanted to go to a festival one weekend and the flights were cheaper than hiring a sitter for the whole day! PLUS I got to spend time with her after.

Sitters.co.uk was fabulous (I hate that it's over now!) because the sitters we got were almost all childcare professionals - nannies, nursery workers, primary teachers in the summer - who were DBS checked and had first aid certificates. I even got them when DS was sick (but I absolutely had to travel to work that day and had people relying on me showing up). If it wasn't for the Sitters model, I'd have really struggled.

Yes, of course they do.

This is a weird question that crops up quite regularly on Mumsnet though.

A quick Google of babysitting agencies/companies would answer the question for you! It's a booming industry!

Er yes of course. What do you think people who don’t have family nearby do? Any time DH and I want to go out in the evening together we hire a babysitter. We rotate between 2-3 people who we know very well. We pay £20/hr which i think is market rate around here

Interesting. I'm the reverse, in that I know plenty of people in real life who use paid babysitters (and did myself) but on MN I only ever see horror and disbelief at the idea. I really don't see what's wrong with it, people happily leave their children at nursery or childminders or other daytime paid childcare, why is it so different in the evenings? Obviously you don't get any old random person in as a babysitter, the people I know who use them get recommendations from friends or sometimes nursery workers wanting to make a bit of extra cash or friends older/young adult children, or if you use the apps or sites the people are DBS checked and vetted and have reviews so you can be reasonably sure they're sensible and responsible - also most people I know particularly if using them for younger children do a meet and greet or trial session first so they're not a complete stranger when they first look after the child, and often they build relationships with them over years so yes they may have been a stranger at first but pretty soon they're not... Personally I couldn't have managed without having some paid-for people to call on, yes for planned things like social events but also for emergencies and appointments and other mundane stuff you really can't take a child too and having someone who can look after them for a few hours makes life so much easier...

Absolutely, I'm a nanny who babysits and regularly have to turn people down because I'm already booked, some regulars, some new families (everyone's a new family at the start). I don't know a nanny who doesn't get babysitting requests via various apps or word of mouth

Is that why you chose your username?

I babysit through an agency. Mostly for families that come to our town for a wedding. So I will look after their baby at the hotel for them whilst they have their day/evening at the wedding.

I’d love a night to myself can’t deny that. But no way would I employ a sitter I didn’t know so never gonna happen.

You sound terribly vehement and unhappy about this 'bizarre' practice as you call it.
It's your choice, of course, but I am very glad I did. I am less fed up.

Ofcourse.
What a random thing to ask

I think i have maybe babysat for atleast 50 people - All strangers

You could get to know the babysitter?
Choose one you already know?

Good I’m glad it makes you happy but I’d rather be fed up than leave my children with a stranger, each to their own!!

I don’t know anyone that is able to babysit but thanks for the suggestion. I am also not going to get to know anyone from online. I’d rather never go out. If I was that desperate I would have done it in the 10 years but it will never happen. I’d rather be fed up than leave my kids with some random from online tbh. And tbh not sure why anyone is commenting on my username, I clearly pointed out that I’m someone that knows what it’s like to have no help, I’m not saying it from a place of privilege with loads of support I know what it’s like to never have a night off but that doesn’t mean I’d leave my kids with a stranger.

I've been using babysitters for over a decade. Single parent since my son was 8 so they became a lifeline. I've been lucky in that I've always managed to have a small rotation of young people/teens recommended by friends and neighbours in my area. If a teen is used by someone I know and like/trust for their own children, that's good enough for me. The teens have found it useful for money and also to put on their CV when they are looking for other jobs. My son is now 14. I still pay one of his babysitters to "keep him company" if I'm on a long night out - the babysitter is now 18 and they have a passion for bikes in common so spend the evening talking shop.

the teens only charge £6 an hour in my area, it's great.

My brother lives in New Zealand.

he’s British and so is his wife and both their families are all back in the Uk.

they have several trusted babysitters.

they wouldn’t have been able to work without them - their industry needs long hours and two pf them started as after school childminding.

My cleaner babysits sometimes. My son adores and know her. A neighbour who is a children’s nurse has sometimes too.

Of course. Sensible local teen, by personal recommendation. For a few hours.

Why is the binary ‘online stranger or I know’ - surely asking around friends and neighbours you’d find some trusted people, and could do overlaps so they get to know your kids gradually?

Maybe you don’t see it advertised but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening where you are. We used to pay nursery staff to do ad hoc babysitting for us, and we used a few friends’ teens. Not sure any of them actually advertised perse or why anyone else would know we used them.

How is this even a question?

I also know zero people who have used a babysitter.

I babysat for children in my village - babies and toddlers from 14 onwards!!

now I have 3 small kids under 6 and have only used family or friends but I will use a childminder from school run that’s I’ve got to know soon when my kids are better sleepers

No. And I don't know anyone who has.
I used a couple of the nursery staff as ad hoc babysitters / mothers helps when the dc's were little. But by that point I'd known them for about three years.
Never gone out in the evening and used anyone though. I'm a lone parent and just didn't do anything until my dc's were teens. even then it's only the gym.