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Parenting

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Original poster

when did you let others babysit?

33 replies

DizzyKipper · 05/07/2012 13:56

Hi all,

I was just wondering at what age you started to let others babysit your child/ren? Particularly if they were breastfed. Got a 2 week old and lots of the family mentioned casually about wanting to babysit when they met her, not had anyone get pushy yet but I know it's just a matter of time before some of them start to get a bit louder about it. I'd just like to know whether there is any 'norm' on age before you allowed others to start babysitting.

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poocatcherchampion · 07/07/2012 19:40

Four months here and not done it yet. There has been nothing I'd rather do than be with her yet.

Cantthinkofagoodname · 07/07/2012 21:06

We left DD with friends for a couple of hours to go out for a meal about a fortnight ago. She was 2.3. We don't have any family to babysit though otherwise we might have done it a bit sooner, but not much. She breastfeeds quite a bit so that had always been a consideration too.

PineappleBed · 10/07/2012 16:22

I'm considering leaving DD being babysat by my folks for the first time this weekend. She's 8.5 months. Until 6 months there was no way I would have had her with anyone but me or DH. Don't le yourself be bullied she's your baby not your family's dolly to play with.

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MrsHoarder · 10/07/2012 17:36

I left him with my mum at 4 days, but only for an emergency GP appointment (I practically needed carrying in and I fed him right before we left).

He's now 8 weeks and has barely not been in the room with DH or me (mostly me) since.

Planning on a speedy drink out when we go away with my parents in 4 weeks time. A meal seems overly ambitious though.

Ragwort · 10/07/2012 17:42

About 10 days - my DM had come to stay with us (I was in hospital for 5 days) and we went to a function in our village, DS was b/f - one friend gave me a very funny look, couldn't understand how I could leave a newborn. - judgey or what !!

LiegeAndLief · 10/07/2012 21:20

Left bf ds with a friend at 3 months to go out for the evening and regretted it. He was fine really but she had trouble getting him to take the bottle and I was just fretting and getting increasingly large uncomfortable breasts all evening.

Dd was an utter nightmare in the evenings / nighttime and would only settle with bf. I first left her with dh (so not proper babysitter) in the evening at 14 months! She was awful though.

I think the actual answer to this is: whenever you want to. We have friends who babysat for us loads when they were childless and now have a 1yo ds, so I've been offering on and off for a while. They're not ready yet - I think he's not so great in the evening either - seems pretty fine and normal to me.

LiegeAndLief · 10/07/2012 21:22

Neither of them has been with anyone apart from dh and I overnight (at 5 and 3) - unfortunately no one has ever offered

if someone did I would bite their hand off

Maisieskates · 10/07/2012 22:29

We left DD with my cousin (an ex-nanny) when she was 6 weeks old to go to DH's brothers wedding. I was gone about 8hrs altogether and had to express and dump in the restaurant loos as was bfing at the time. Thankfully restaurant loos were fab and I had a fantastic time and so did DD .

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