Poll: would you leave a 9 week old (and a 23 month old) with a babysitter that you don't know?

[MuffinMclay]

Going on holiday soon - self-catering cottage on a farm. They offer babysitting in the evening if you want it. We said we'd like to do that one evening, but now I'm having second thoughts. Ds2 is ff, so feeding isn't an issue in this (and we'd probably go out and back between feeds anyway).

Not unless they were a doula/maternity nurse and even then I would have had to have met them a few times previously.

and I wouldn't leave my 20 month old with someone he didn't know as he would go beserk.

I've been left with a 7 week old baby who was premature, met the mum for 30 mins. before she went out. oh and also went on holiday with them and had the baby with me 24/7........

No way.

now I don't leave my 2 with anyone and oldest is 10, wish I could be more easy going but am stuck with myself

no

I wouldn't leave my 9 wk old with someone i did know!

where are you going?

muffin, in your case wouldn't dream of it, keep baby with you, you don't know who is babysitting him

no way.

go with your gut instinct MuffMclay,,,,, it will be the right thing for you!

Have cancelled the babysitting. Not sure what I was thinking of.

Yogimum - Cornwall

Is it higher lank farm?

No, it is Treal Farm: Hayloft

looks great, hope you have a fab time. I am looking here www.higherlankfarm.co.uk the lady who does the babysitting is the owner who has four kids. I also like the look of this place www.the-valley.co.uk as you can have the chef send food over to your accommodation.

MM - could you get the babysitter just for ds1, and take ds2 with you, as he's a good sleeper, and would hopefully sleep through whatever you were up to?

Ah - just realised that's what MrsB already suggested, sorry.

Message withdrawn

Under pressure from DH and his family I left DS with my MIL (I did trust her completely) overnight when he was 9 weeks old. I still feel guilty about it now and hence have never left DD with anyone and she is now 19 months.

The answer is no I wouldnt but I was wondering if anyone else has left a baby that young with someone they DID know and what do you think of it?

I'd leave him with MIL but she won't have him for any length of time because, to quote, 'after raising 4 children I've done my bit with babies'. Nevermind the fact that actually she got her mother to do the lion's share of childcare with numbers 2-4 and went back to work when they were 6 weeks old.

She is looking after both dcs for one evening next week, on the condition that both are asleep before we go out and we return before ds2 needs feeding again.

No and I am quite a lax parent tbh.

No. Especially not a 9 week old. I left DS (aged about 18 mths) with an agency babysitter at a hotel for a night when we were travelling in Australia. DH had to talk me into it and to be honest I couldn't relax at all and regretted it (although everything was fine). And I'm not one of these mums who can't bear to be apart from my baby - have left my son with my mum and sister and DH for nights away many times. It's just the 'stranger' factor.