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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

How often does somebody else babysit your child/children?

23 replies

cloudy · 27/02/2005 17:22

In your home, I mean. Not so you can work, but so you can go out, go to exercise class or out for a meal with your DH, that kind of thing.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

stitch · 27/02/2005 17:25

almost never is the answer. dh too stingy to pay for babysitting. and mil does it about once a year! or wheni am in labour.

SenoraPostrophe · 27/02/2005 17:25

once every month or so.

A few weeks ago we had a babysitter twice in 2 weeks. A record!

SenoraPostrophe · 27/02/2005 17:27

Oh stitch! Can you start rationing something else "instead"? (If it was me, I'd cook cheap mince for a week to get my point accross. Or not cook)

happymerryberries · 27/02/2005 17:27

About once every 6-8 weeks

kama · 27/02/2005 17:30

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motherinferior · 27/02/2005 17:35

Whenever I can prevail on anyone to do so.

Beetroot · 27/02/2005 17:37

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happymerryberries · 27/02/2005 17:38

I have no choice but to used baby sitter as I have no family support whatsoever, and have had none for the last 5.5 years

SenoraPostrophe · 27/02/2005 17:41

Kama - first babysitter for dd was when she was about 6 months. Ds was a terrible sleeper so I didn't get to leave him till about 9 months.

It's scarey the first time, but gets easier. I remember reading one of those email thingies about having 3 children - the first time you get a babysitter with the 1st you leave a huge list of contact numbers, strict instructions etc. with the 3rd child you leave instructions not to call unless there is blood. Thought it was funny.

tigermoth · 27/02/2005 17:42

depends, but usually once every two months. Not for a lack of babysitters, more the cost factor, plus we can take our boys out with us more, as they are bigger. Ideally I's like to have babysitters once a week but the £25.00 - 30.00 a night we give our babysitter makes it a bit expensive.

roisin · 27/02/2005 17:49

On average weekly I guess: Dh works a lot of evenings, so if I want to go out at all we have to get babysitters (and we have no family nearby). If I'm doing a course then it works out more often. Atm I'm not, so less often.

I didn't leave ds1 for ages (paranoid new mum), but left ds2 when he was 6 wks old. And left them both together on a weekly basis when they were 4 months and 26 months.

They would both be tucked up in bed asleep when the babysitter came, and she was a qualified NNEB, so I had no hesitations about it. She also lived nextdoor which was very convenient, and her mum was a childminder and her dad a firefighter. So I figured between them they were more qualified on the safety front than dh and me!

roisin · 27/02/2005 17:50

SP ROFL at the 3rd child thing!

tigermoth · 27/02/2005 17:51

roisin, that sounds like the most perfect babysitting arramgement you could ever have!

(ps I've finished my work, now so can post on mumsnet without feeling guilty)

jane313 · 27/02/2005 18:19

In 20 months a friend has babysat about 5 times.

My son is always alseep for the whole thing. We have noone else that has ever offered. We couldn't afford a service and don't know any willing teenagers.

coppertop · 27/02/2005 18:25

Never. Our eldest is now 4yrs 8mths and in all that time no-one has babysat for us. My family live nearby but we don't get on very well tbh.

pixiefish · 27/02/2005 18:35

never happened yet. Mum has her two days a week so I can work but have never left her for the evening. She's hopeless at going to sleep so I couldn't leave her. This is ok most of the time but this weekend dh was rushed into hospital and I could really have done with being able to go and see him in the evenings. Am working tomorrow and tuesday so i won't be able to go and see him now till wednesday as i can't leave dd in the evenings. plus i have a parents evening on tuesday so will be late home from work. It would be handy at times like this if i'd got her used to being left in the evening

roisin · 27/02/2005 18:48

Tigermoth - yep, it was pretty fab! They were lovely neighbours too, I still miss them. Actually the other dd had a baby the other day, so maybe she's on here!

I'm glad to hear you've finished your work

WideWebWitch · 27/02/2005 19:04

Cloudy, we try to go out once a month but it doesn't always happen so sometimes it's once every 2 months. We use Sitters, who are great.

Beetroot · 27/02/2005 19:06

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ssd · 27/02/2005 19:26

We have my SIL babysit about once every 3 months.

Would love to get out together more but no-one else can babysit also we can't afford many nights out.

emmatmg · 27/02/2005 19:33

I'm not exaggerating here but I could count on one hand the number of times we've been out together since DS1 was born.......he'll be 6 in april!!!

toomanypushchairs · 27/02/2005 19:39

A friend is going to babysit on 2nd april for us, we haven't been out since early october last year! my M&D won't do it, mum always has an excuse, in-laws would but they have such a social life that you have to book them months in advance.I always make sure the little one's are in bed asleep before we do go out.

suedonim · 27/02/2005 19:53

Never. We have a built-in babysiter atm but I suppose will need to find someone in the autumn when dd1 goes to uni. (at having to pay, not dd going to uni!)

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