Holiday - do you trust babysitters ?

[Tillysmummy]

We are going to a hotel in the Algarve, Carvoeiro so be specific. My dh thinks we should have gone for a Mark Warner or Club Med so we could stick her in the creche all day. I don't. I want to spend it with her and think that dh will be pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is because she's such an easy baby anyway. Perhaps I'm wrong, we'll soon find out !!

Anyway, one question. Have any of you used the babysitting service at a hotel ? I am a bit concerned obviously I will reserve judgement till I meet them but am worried about some 15 year old Portugese girl babysitting ! Perhaps I am being tunnel vision and it won't be like that at all. We are planning to only use the baby sitting service in the evenings whilst we are in the hotel and take her with us when we go out.

The other thing I thought of is taking the baby monitor with us. Wonder how far the range is and if it would work

[threeangels]

Im pretty much like SofiaAmes. I do not trust anyone but family with my youngest 19mos. Unless its a friend that I know quite well. Unless my child could tell me if something was not right and I mean by me asking him questions I just wont leave them. My mum will watch my kids occasionally but if she cant I dont go or I take them with me. I am just trying to sacrifice until the youngest is older. By then my oldest will be at a babysitting age. No matter what a babysitter looks like or acts like it is so scary out there anymore to leave children with ones we dont know.

[SofiaAmes]

I'm sorry to sound over the top, but I would never trust a stranger to be alone with my child until he (my child, not the sitter) is old enough to tell me if something were wrong (i.e. 4 or 5 at least). And I certainly wouldn't let a 15 year old, portuguese or english, watch my child on holiday or in my home.
When we are on holiday (and we've taken lots with my son - now 18 mo.) we take him out with us and he falls asleep in his buggy when it's his bedtime (though we are lucky that he falls asleep easily and anywhere and with any amount of noise).

[Tillysmummy]

Rhiannon my dd is 9 months old and crawling backwards and sideways but not really crawling yet although im afraid i think she will be on holiday. Bang goes putting her between us in the shade whilst we bask in the sun !

Malmomum. Exactly what we thought ! Book a babysitter during the day for a couple of hours. We do also want to have one in the evenings some of the time but not all of the time.

DD is fairly good and easy so we think when we do go out of the hotel she will go to sleep in her buggy and then we can just transfer her to her cot when we get back.

We thought we'd only use the hotel babysitters when we're in the hotel rather than when we go out and take her with us when we go out.

A couple of hours relaxation while she's being played with will be great. Let's hope the babysitters are available during the day.

[MalmoMum]

As Rhiannon has said, it depends on what stage your child is at. We've used quite a few babysitters provided by hotels and haven't felt cause to worry. We normally have a mobile that works abroad with us, clarify that we would rather be called for something that turns out to be nothing and have got reception to translate as necessary.

At 10 months ds would settle by going for an evening walk with one of us at about 8.30 pm CET while the other sat and read. By 20 months this was not on. Children so seem to sleep so much better in a bed rather than a pushchair so you have a generally more settled night. So you might take your child with you some nights but it is really nice to have some time alone. Even if you feel that you don't need it, your dh and marriage might well benefit.

IMO baby monitors are a waste of packing space. If your hotel contains concrete and lifts the signal is unlikely to reach down one floor so you won't get any relaxed freedom.

You are going somewhere with a pretty positive attitude toward children and enjoying them, so make the most of that. You don't have to go far the first time, you can go back and check if that makes you happier. If you find a babysitter that you like, I would recommend booking them for a couple of hours during the day if you can. It's quite nice to have a chance to hang out together without a child present and have neither of you being in charge.

[Rhiannon]

Me agin, will she be crawling when you go? That can be a complete nightmare if you're trying to enjoy a book in the sun for an hour or two!

Club Med Ibiza is only a 2.5 hour flight, on the beach and has a lovely creche (ours only go in for half a day). You have to book the creche when you book your holiday, don't leave it till you get there as it will be full. When we last went there was a woman with twin babies, she was having a blue fit as her husband had booked the holiday but not the creche and it was full!!

There is a lovely baby restaurant for early dinners and a bottle washing and sterilising room on each floor offering milk (UHT), yoghurts and biscuits. The nicest one of these was at the creche as the one nearest to us was very hot and stuffy.

There's also a lovely restaurant overlooking the sea (need to book) and you can lunch or dinner here.

[Rhiannon]

Tillysmummy, can't you get her to sleep in her cot and then move her to her pushchair with a blanket and then wheel her out to the restaurant?

The last babysitter we had in Italy was French and didn't speak a word of English! Luckily we were staying in the resort and perhaps we should have mentioned that talking English would be an advantage! R