to wonder why on the back of the madeline McGann 'incident' places like butlins still ofer a baby sitting service....

[LowFatMilkshake]

So parents can leave thier children in thier apartments and go out for the evening?!

I am only asking this because I have been watching the cinema thread about MM and this though cropped up.

we are staying at Butlins in Sept and I was told about this service by an aunt.

If it is a listening service does it mean that children can ramsack the bathroom, stick fingers in sockets and do all manner of child like things and as long as they are quiet nobody will know?

Course its a re hash. McCanns werent using the service at the time.

Babysitting is there and avaliable if you want to use it, if you dont then dont. Are you even going to butlins??

LFM just dont use it then and stop judging others for doing so, its their decision not yours.

We've just had a CentreParcs holiday and decided not to use the babysitting service but ate in the restaurants. It was ideal as DH and I got to eat at a leisurely pace and enjoy a glass of wine while the DCs played in the play areas. However, it did occur to me that they were out of our sight for periods of time and it would have been much easier for a potential abductor to snatch a child there than from a villa with a babysitter. Even if they cried when taken, who really takes that much notice of a screaming child being dragged along by an adult - you'd assume it was a harassed parent dealing with a toddler tantrum. I guess I'm just trying to make the point that people are comfortable with different things. Some might consider us bad parents for letting our kids play out of sight in play areas. I personally wouldn't use a baby sitting or baby listening service but, just because it's not my preference, doesn't mean it's a bad thing and ought to be withdrawn.

I would only see it as an issue if it was the alleged Butlins babysitting service offered in the 70s, sworn by my DH to be true but he is one for a sensationalist story so may not quite be gospel.

Apparently parents would leave their children in their chalets but tie a brightly coloured piece of material to the door handle to alert the staff and presumably any wandering paedophiles or baby snatchers, the staff would then wander past every 15mins-30mins-60mins-whenever they fancied.

Then if a baby or child was crying they would make an announcement and the parents would wander off to the infant who could have been crying for a considerable period of time.

Call me overprotective but I wouldn't feel quite comfortable with that arrangement, however I'm not sure what the issue with a babysitter with references might be.

Message withdrawn

Go to Center Parcs. Babysitting service is fabberoony.

Obsessed with what?

I was shocked when a woman I worked with told me she'd left her dd in a Butlins chalet with a passing baby-listening service - she told me in 2004 and it had occurred about 32 years earlier. I'm guessing that she wouldn't do the same thing now with her grandchildren (my parents would never have done that with my siblings or myself!). Attitudes have changed since the 70s in lots of things.

Presumably even then it was optional - nobody forced the parents to go drinking, dancing or whatever.

bookworm - we were left outside pubs on carparks as young children- myself being 4 yrs older than my brother- I remember pushing him around carpark in his pushchair.

I think whichever generation you are- parents take risks.

I would not leave my kids on a carpark- but wouldnt hesitate to use a baby listening/sitting service.

Not necessarily accurate to say that "the sitting service is actually a listening service", though -- more "my aunt says that her neighbour says that her daughter says that the sitting service is actually a listening service". People on here who've stayed at Butlins have said that the resorts they stayed at either offered no service at all or an in-room service.

In the 70s we were frequently locked in the boot of the car, in our sleeping bags (seats folded down), while mum and dad drank in the pub after summer cricket matches. We were quite safe though, the dog was locked in there with us . Even my mum was horrified by her own actions when she thought about this recently.

We were also subjects of Butlins' 1970s "baby listening" service - exactly as described earlier.

has any child ever been abducted during butlins baby listening service ever, in its illustrious history? i dont think so

that makes it statistically a safer place for a child than a car for a start

Many years ago Butlins did do baby listening.

10 years ago they did..

Babysitting, sitter in chalet/ caravan.

Child listening, for children over 8yrs, security patrol the chalets/ caravans on the list and report back if kids up and about (not a great idea in my opinion regardless of any recent events).

Night owl service, babies are left in the nursery with 2 members of nursery staff, parents asked to call the nursery from bars every hour or half hour if not sleeping when left.

From Butlins Skegness website "We are also in negotiations with Ofsted to offer a regular babysitting service however this at present has very limited availability at £6.50 per hour (per 4 children)."

From Butlins Minehead website "A babysitting service is available for those who need a later service at £8.00 per hour for up to two children in their own accommodation. (limited availability)"

surely this is a good service which many places will take on after the mccann incident rather than her useless parents who took the leave all out children under 3 alone in an apartment in a foreign country while we enjoy dinner and wine.