To not know how to have a social life due to lack of babysitting!

[seriouslylong]

So I really feel like it's a nightmare to get a babysitter! I have some friends that can help if necessary but I don't really like to ask too often.

My daughters dad isn't involved so I don't have the fortnight childcare that a lot of my single parent friends have!

Are there any single parent babysitting swap type of groups?

I'm thinking surely there must be other single parents out there like me that really need childcare!

Although at the same time I'm not sure how I feel about leaving my dd with someone I don't know too well! She is 11 years old so it's maybe not as bad as leaving a baby with someone you havnt known for years.

I'm thinking there must be some kind of babysitting website that could check the other parents before allowing them to sign up?

Any ideas?

So I've checked on sitters.co.uk and the local rate for Saturday evenings is £8.30 per hour and there are bookings feee if £4

I have also posted on a local forum to see if I can find someone in 6th form!

Poppycity - it's hard work not getting a break isn't it! And yes I can appreciate in your situation it must be even harder

I always find it fascinating on MN how so many people could never leave their DC with “a stranger” for babysitting or childcare reasons.

But then must do that for school, hospital stays, and parents of schoolfriends when they get that far.

We’ve never had family available for childcare as a general thing. A couple of weekends when DD was very small and we brought her to DGPs before going onwards for our weekend (maybe 4 times over 7 or 8 years). And once a DAunt was able to help out over a period of 4 weeks that DD was going to a clinic session weekly during work time (DAunt was retired but usually minds my DCousins so made a huge effort for this, which we really appreciated).

But for crèche, after school care, any nights out we wanted (babysitters), school itself, clubs and activities .... all those involved strangers to us before we organized them and also involved us paying for it.

#seriouslylong which part of London (roughly) are you in? I’m south east and have a 13 year old daughter, who is a bit old for a babysitter but too young to be left alone all evening. I’d love someone to do babysitting swaps with!

Muminthecity - I am also in south east london :)

This sounds like a great idea! I am checking out how to PM you but I'm on my phone so it might not be possible so feel free to drop me a message :)

I've seen sitters and childminders who also sit from £5 an hour.

Could you not do a babysitting swap with a single parent friend?