SITTERS!!!!! Are they good? any horror stories before I take the plunge?

[ClosetSlob]

So singledom means I need evening childcare.

Thinking of joining sitters but it's very pricey. need your opinions please

We use them occasionally
Only had one problem sitter - she helped herself to all sorts of food incl an unopened cake, agency were v apologetic

no problems here, have used them for a few years now.

can i ask what sitters is me and my dh can never go out anywhere together because we have no childcare
how much is it and where do you find out about it?

Any local teens about?

notthat i would trust with my kids , we don't really know any of them

I believe that WWW has used them sometimes

I tried a local teen once - was a nightmare.

However have used friends children before now, theproblem is getting them home again afterwards.

Might take the plunge with Sitters then, hope youstill get discount through MN

I have joined \link{http://www.sitters.co.uk/sitters}

but I have yet to actually use them! this friday will be the first time.

it says THE minimum is four hours sowhat happens if you come home 1 hour early for eg? do you have to pay for the 4 hours still>?

\link{http://www.sitters.co.uk/sorry}

\link{http://www.sitters.co.uk/please}

We used them quite a lot for a couple of years until we went on an economy drive. You do have to pay for the 4 hours whatever time you come back. The people we had have always been very good and I have gone out thinking my children are in safer hands than mine !

me23 - yes

which has been disastrous for DH and I on a number of occasions, as we go for "one drink" after dinner and end up getting plastered, and annoying the babysitter by coming home late

We use them and they're great. A little pricey but the sitters we've had have been brilliant, and frankly, I find it easier leaving the DC with them than with a teen.

i dont know why link won't work do they stay after midnight?

I used Sitters loads of times before I got a nanny. We particularly liked one of the sitters and used to request her, which meant she came round most times and knew us & DS (and vice versa). I think you have to pay for a minimum of 4 hours regardless of how long you are actually away, as the sitter has given up a whole evening. The sitters always provided their own transport which meant you didn't have to bother organising & paying for a cab, which was good. We didn't have any bad experiences with anyone.

i didn't find them so pricey - £5.25 or £5.85 an hour depending on day of the week. never had a bad experience. have never left ds with anyone other than grandparents or sitters

I've had a sitter until past 1am before now - always pre-arranged.

I should say that I do think they are very good value for money and well worth paying for, it's just we economising at the moment.

I'm relieved to hear so much praise for them. I have no one else who can babysit so I never get to go out.

I have a younger dp! who is a student so used to going out a lot and it's hard to be a couple and not to spend tikme doing things that couples do iswim?

by the way I'm only 25 so but I'm so used to not being albe to go out now it seems normal lol

minimum 4 hours is quite a lot so won't solve my problem of Tuesday and Thursday nights but would be fine for weekend evenings

me23 you're using a forward slash at the end.