To think my married friends might cough up for a babysitter occasionally

[Sheila]

I am a single parent and have my DS 99% of the time, apart from in the school holidays when he goes away with XP for up to 3 nights.

This means I don't go out much in the evenings and if I do want to go out I generally have to pay a babysitter. I don't begrudge this, although it does mean I don't have much of a social life because money is tight.

What really rankles is that on the rare occasion when DS is away, my married friends never seem willing to get a babysitter themselves if their DHs aren't around.

So the conversation usually goes:

Me; "Hi DF, I've got a night off later this week, do you fancy going out?"
DF: "No sorry I can't - DH is out that night."

So, if I want to see them we have to find a time when they can go out for free and I have to find a babysitter!

I find this annoying and hurtful on so many levels - mainly because I think they must not want to see me that much, but also because I think they are mostly much more able to afford a babysitter than me as they have two incomes coming in.

So AIBU or do I have crap friends?

[theoriginalandbestrookie]

OP we have a monthly quiz night with the Mums from Ds's year and it works really well.

About 12 of us are on the distribution list and we meet at 8 for food and then some come later at 9 for the quiz. Sometimes there have been 3 of us there and very, very occasionally 9. Doesn't matter of some people cancel, which inevitably happens and it's an inexpensive night out.

I'd admit I'd have to be really keen to do something if DH was already out for the night. Yes I agree it sucks that you have to pay for a babysitter when you go out, but its £25 for the evening on top of what you spend which is not an expense that I want to pay and yes I sometimes shop in Waitrose.

At least given the age of your DC it's not an expense you will have to shoulder for much longer.

[simplesusan]

I agree with other posters who say babysitting isn't just about the cost.
Personally when mine were younger I would rather go out when dh was in to babysit.
Paying a sitter seemed a waste of money unless it was for an exceptional occasion. It would also be a lot of hassle for me for various reasons. I am also of the mindset that the hassle it involved was hardly worth going out for. I am a homebody though, can't you tell!

I suppose it depends how reliable your babysitter is. i have always been the primary carer and even now my dm just doesn't seem to have the natural ability/instinct (whatever you call it) to look after my dcs well. I often wonder how the hell she managed with me as I still have to explain the simplest of things to her. Such as what will they eat? What time will they eat? Leaving them when they were very young was not easy for me as she was quite poor at doing basic tasks.

Also the 2 income thing is insulting, ok your friends may have lots of spare cash, but lots of 2 parent families are worse off than single parents.

[sarahseashell]

but the point is, single parents often have to pay a babysitter if they want to get out of the house/ attend school functions/whatever - therefore they don't have the choice

[drjohnsonscat]

All the hassles of having a babysitter, not knowing if you can rely on them, etc etc, apply to all parents. I think having this explained to single parents as a reason not to get a babysitter is rubbing salt into the wound! We have the same issues but have to do it anyway!

If I think about it, I suppose I do really appreciate my single friends who will come over to mine for an evening. They seem to get it to be honest. I make a point of telling them how much I appreciate them doing this and that one day I'll be free to come over to them or whatever.

[YouOldSlag]

Seriously, you don't socialise without your DP/ DHs?

The ONLY way I socialise is without him and vice versa.

Because we haven't got a baby sitter!

[megandraper]

Actually, this thread has made me a bit more aware about LPs and the fact that they need a bit more leeway with social arrangements if they don't have family support.

I only have two LP friends, and they both live too far away for nights out (and they both have other support which allows them nights out without a paid babysitter). But I will be aware for the future.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

drjohnsons - I only know one single parent. She gets a lot of support from her family, she moved back to live close to them when her marriage ended.
Her parents babysit for her one night a week so that she can go to an evening class, and they occasionally have her daughter one night at the weekend - and that doesn't include the time that her daughter has with her ex.

Now I know that not all lone parents have that kind of support, or anything remotely approaching it - but it is a case in point that family are often much more willing to rally round and offer babysitting etc where there has been a marriage breakdown.

My parents would do the same if DH and I split up - I would in likelihood move to be closer to them and I know they would help me in this way. There would be no question of that happening as long as DH and I are married, because we look to each other for support first.

[Wallison]

OP, I can see how this niggles at you, but to be honest I view it as being part and parcel of being a lone parent. I am one myself, and it's tough. I also have no family close by and my ex has my son maybe three times a year. So every bit of time when I'm not with my son, I pay for. Whether that be to enable me to go to work or to go out of a evening, I have to pay for someone to look after him. Sometimes I do look wistfully at married friends who bitch about how they have to juggle time and leave etc to make sure they have no childcare costs - would that I had that luxury! But it is how it is. I think you just have to suck it up, tbh.

If I had a husband/partner at home, I would approach things in exactly the same way as your friends do; why go out on a night which necessitates paying for a babysitter, when you can go out on another night which doesn't? It just doesn't make sense for them.

So I'm not saying that you're BU, but I think people who don't know what it's like to have sole responsibility for a child, with no nights off and no-one there to pick up the slack just don't get it and I wouldn't expect them to either.

[Wallison]

Oh yes and babysitting circles just do not work for single parents - thank you for pointing that out, stubbornstains. I have also had a few (private, quiet) head-banging moments over the years when people have suggested it. Now I just smile and say "I cannot babysit for other people because I cannot leave my son on his own". And wait for all the little wheels to slowly click into motion. Sometimes, I wait for a while.

[Ragwort]

Wallison - actually babysitting can work for single people in some circumstances, my (single) friend used to have my DS for sleepovers or look after him in the day time at weekends, I agree it is not totally the same as going to someone else's house to look after their children but there are alternatives - or offering to do a friend's ironing in exchange for babysitting. . Those sorts of things might work occasionally.

[comingintomyown]

Some of the responses like bluemonkeyspots have been very unpleasant

I completely understand how you feel. My friends have been sooo supportive of me in the last 3 years and have included me in family things and lots of weekend slots as well ( I appreciated that remark that you would never get a night out with them on a Saturday) and its made a huge difference to me.

As has been said sadly I think it simply doesnt occur to some people to make an effort to do something they may not 100% want to do for the sake of a friend.

Lots of my socialising pre and post marriage break up involved inviting people over for a glass of wine , I cant see why your DS being up until 10pm makes a difference, that way nobody needs a sitter.

Why not be proactive and get some advance dates in the diary so their DHs are booked to babysit ?

I would say to anyone with a single Mum friend try and give them a little time and support you've no idea how much it would be appreciated

[Pigsmummy]

If ppl are struggling to find a reliable babysitter look at friends who have a CM or Nanny, asvthey, or their cm/nanny friends (who are fully qualified and CRB checked etc) are mad keen to do a bit of cash in hand babysitting. My lovely babysitter is amazing and after having her care for my baby just two nights I just wish that I could afford her as a nanny.....

[Wallison]

Another good source is colleges that run childcare courses - they often have people training to be nursery nurses who would welcome the experience. I'm ok for babysitters at the mo - have a few reliable trustworthy girls I can call on - but I know that friends have put up notices in the local FE college to get people to help them out.

[pookamoo]

Sorry, feel a bit stupid for suggesting that, but I am sure there are single mums in the babysitting circle my friends have (not local to me). They just sit on the nights they are free - i.e. when their ex has the children.

[stubbornstains]

pookamoo

I cannot tell you how jealous I am of single mums whose exes have their kids sometimes. This is not a luxury I enjoy, and one that the OP makes clear that she enjoys very rarely.

[pookamoo]

[Velvetorsilk]

I don’t think yabu but I can see both sides, I suppose. It’s difficult being a single parent but I would probably not be inclined to pay for a babysitter either.

[WarmSausageTea]

Well, the OP’s son is 21 now, so it’s probably not an issue any more.

[HotToddyColdSauvignon]

@Velvetorsilk

I don’t think yabu but I can see both sides, I suppose. It’s difficult being a single parent but I would probably not be inclined to pay for a babysitter either.

Why the F are you resurrecting a thread that’s 8 years old @Velvetorsilk??? Ffs


Mnhq, I know you can close old threads being added to, as you did it earlier today with another idiot who resurrected a zombie thread, please can this just be bloody standard!

[Velvetorsilk]

Apologies. Was reading, got distracted, came back, forgot.

[WarmSausageTea]

Bloody hell, someone’s having a bad day.

[AngelinaFibres]

When I was a single parent with 2 small children all my friends with small children were still married. I couldn't afford a babysitter and didn't know anyone I would trust anyway. We used my house as a hub. They all came over (6 of us usually) and everyone brought a plate of something to share and something to drink.They had husband's who didn't work weekends so Friday or Saturday was often possible even if I had my boys at home. I remember those times very fondly. They got me through my divorce. Could you do something like that instead when they have their husband's at home to babysit.

[sanbeiji]

ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBITE THREA

[KimMumsnet]

As this is a very old thread, we're going to close it to new replies now.