AIBU to have babysitting rules...

[finalstrawb]

... if I didn't ask for the babysitting?

We have very little support from family due to geography, but we make it work and never ask for help. MIL and FIL have asked to babysit as they love our DS - lovely for all of us, DS aged 2 gets time with GP, we get a few hours to ourselves. Babysitting between 12-5. WIBU to ask them to do no television. We severely limit screen time as DS is a bad sleeper and we find it helps. Also no sugar etc but we leave meals and snacks prepared.

If I requested childcare I wouldn't set rules but in this case AIBU? He has lots of toys and healthy snacks, they don't have to do anything except play with him (DS very spirited!)

Sorry, but if I was the grandparent (not yet the case for a good few years, hopefully), babysitting from 12-5 with a total TV ban, with a "spirited" child who clearly enjoys TV would be a no. Asking GPs to spend 5 hours playing with him with no break seems like a lot, whether or not you've asked them for childcare.

Yes. I'm going against the grain here but yes, I would let them know your preferences - and why.

If they don't listen to you telling them how various bad habits affect your child, and by extension, you, this will be the first and only occasion they babysit.

But I would word it so they aren't 'rules' but based on how things affect his health.

Actually I thought that was a good Idea.

My only rule with GPs was to try and get her to have an afternoon nap. As they were handing back to me an overtired, overstimulated toddler who was then a nightmare when we got back from work.

I find it so weird that mumsbet tells people they can’t ask unpaid babysitters to do/not do certain things with your child. So weird. Any family members who kindly looked after my child knew not to feed them crap and it was never a problem. Once they were older (ie not 2!) I relaxed things a bit and said one sweet thing per visit was fine. It’s your child! And the TV thing, again fine to say no TV. My 2 year olds didn’t have TV either. Just no need to have TV in a 3.5 hour visit.

You don't have to spend every minute playing with them. At 2, he should be able to play by himself for some of the time. Plus there's 2 GPs so each can take a break every now & then

They're not on their own. There's 2 of them. There are plenty of things to do rather than TV. Going for a walk etc. Jeez, I had 2 under 3 at one point and I was an older mum and I had them all day every day!

Why deny a child a bit of fun for a couple hours. Doesn’t make sense. They will just crave it more when they are older if they are denied it now

At the age of 2?!

In my household toddlers have lots of fun, there’s about a hundred activities like an art space, dressing up station, tonnes of books, themed toys on rotation and boxes with specific activities like lace up pictures or hama beads- none of it involves parking them in front of the TV. It’s not denying children fun, it’s just intentional parenting, which is a good thing IME.