to worry about babysitter taking DS in the car?

[Makipuppy]

I have booked at babysitter to look after DS (12 weeks) for the day. I got her off a childcare website, spoke to her on the phone and then she came round to meet us. She seems very competent, has a crb certificate, cv with lots of experience on it, was full of ideas of how to entertain DS, generally very warm and capable holding him.

DP will be in nearly all day, so she won't be on her own.

But she's only 20 and she's just said that she'll be parking nearby so as we have a car seat would it be ok if she took him to the park etc.

We live right in the centre of town, by lots of cafes etc. and the seafront and DS is a little young for swings anyway. I feel nervous about her driving with him. Also, she might take him to a friend's house and natter with her all day. I don't have any reason to suspect this (other than what i was like as an au pair at her age).

What does anyone think? This is my very first experience of childcare so I really don't know what to expect.

yanbu - you live in a town and she can walk anywhere

you dont know her driving skills and it is for one day

if she was your full time nanny then it would be different saying she cant drive

i have ads up on gumtree/netmums/NJ and i often do an odd day here and there for mums either because they are like you and need to work the odd day or because they want some me time - there is nothing wrong with this and i cant beleive so many on here disaprove

the op dp is at home but working - it is hard to work at home+look after a child, esp a small baby who needs feeding regually

Make sure she has business insurance for her car if and when you do allow her to tale your LO out.

Can a 12 week old even focus on ducks? [mud scrambles to find dusty child development book under bed].

yes a 12weeks can focus on ducks and prob be nice for the nanny to get out of house and bubba to have fresh air

If you're not happy with it I would just tell her you'd rather she didn't take him in her car.

I'm a nanny myself and I always try to negociate use of the families' car if possible as it opens up the kind of things you can do. Although if it's only for one day I can't see why she needs to drive. It's very unlikely that she has proper insurance to drive children in her own car, especially at her age, as on a nanny's wage it's not really affordable.

If I was working for someone just for one day I really wouldn't be offended if they gave me a written itinerary of the routine and everything expected to be done during the day. That way you can leave no time for her to take your DS anywhere in her car.

For a first time, it seems a bit much to take your DS out in the car when it would be possible to take the buggy. If they are babysitting for more than a couple of hours during the day, then being restricted to staying indoors all the time can be a pain. But no reason to use the car... could take your DS for a trip in the buggy/pram so he gets some fresh air - which may be handy if he gets grumpy and won't sleep for her... as he probably will sleep with the movement of the buggy/pram. I've certainly taken children that age out in the pram, to a park, to look at ducks/swans on the river. To be honest, it's more for me than the baby as it gets me out of the house - I need fresh air as much as baby does. I go stir crazy stuck inside all day long - like all boys, I need a good walk every day!
As you build up trust then you can decide to let your babysitter/nanny take your son on trips further away. You would be perfectly in your rights to give the car a check over to make sure it's safe, plus if necessary go for a drive with your babysitter so that you can see how well they drive (though note that they may be quite nervous when driving with you in the car).
As a nanny I have specialist insurance (from a broker, not available from a price comparison site) for transporting children for whom I care. It isn't that expensive - seems to add about £40 a year, though I do have a lot of years of NCB. Do check the insurance policy - any carer transporting your child will not mind showing you any documentation you wish to see.
Trust is something that builds up over time... at present it seems to me as though you don't fully trust her yet which is fine. As time goes by you will begin to trust her more, thus let her do things like take your DS to places suitable for his developmental stage.

I've told her and of course she's said ok, but it does make me think she's more concerned with her day than DS. When we invited her round to meet us she asked us where she could park and I explained that because we lived in the centre of town parking was difficult (hence we don't drive). She lives about a mile away and any bus would have brought her practically to our door but she chose to drive to the main multi-storey which is not very near at all and walk to ours. She also told me very proudly about her car which is pink and black etc. I think she just likes being in her new, and possibly first, car.