Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weddings

Chat to other Mumsnetters on our Wedding forum.

Flip

Original poster

childcare on wedding day

19 replies

tt7488 · 16/02/2013 18:14

I'm getting married in August and my son will be almost 2. I'd like my mum and mother in law to enjoy the day and not have to leave early to take him home to bed but I think it won't really be necessary to have a nanny all day. We are having it in a marquee at my grandparents house and the place my son would actually be sleeping would be about a 5 or 10 min drive away. Is he a bit young to stay up for a bit, fall asleep and then be carted home by a babysitter? Does anyone have any advice on what to do about getting a nanny or babysitter on wedding day?

OP posts:

wannabedomesticgoddess · 16/02/2013 18:19

Couldnt you put him in a travel cot in your gps house of he gets too tired? Whos house is he sleeping in? Could he not then go home with them?

I know it would be very late and moving him asleep etc, but its just one day. I have done similar at family parties with DD1 at that age and she was fine.

droitwichmummy · 16/02/2013 18:21

We just put PILs in charge of DS for the day and he came to the wedding too. The vicar blessed us as a family at the end of the wedding service.

Bue · 16/02/2013 19:03

Why can't he just sleep in your grandparents' house until everyone leaves?

OddBoots · 16/02/2013 23:11

Who lives in the place he will be spending the night? I'd second/third the travel cot at your grandparents' house.

Original poster

tt7488 · 18/02/2013 11:48

We are having the marquee quite far upfield so a monitor won't stretch that far. No one will be in the house as everything being done in the marquees. My grandparents also have terrible mould in their house and my son has really bad asthma that gets really aggravated when he has slept there in the past.

He will obviously be at the wedding! I was talking about the reception. It will be going on very late and I don't want anyone to have to leave early in order to take him home to bed.

I have been thinking about asking my childminder if she would come and look after him but it is all the way in Somerset (we live in London) so might be quite pricey since we would need her to stay overnight, pay for her train, accomodation etc. Then again I don't really know that many people in the area and not sure about babysitters.

I could maybe have my mum take him home to a babysitter put him to bed etc and then come back to the wedding? Seems a bit unfair on her though.

OP posts:

MsIngaFewmarbles · 18/02/2013 11:53

You could just do whay my sister is doing. Insist that your sister (who has 4 under 10) has your 4yo and 4mo overnight meaning that she will have to leave the wedding early and rake her dds, your bridesmaids with her Sorry very ranty about it.

You could (more sensibly) hire a night nanny from an agency either for at the hotel or your home. Agency nannys are usually vetted and have at least 2 references. Pricey but worth it.

LIZS · 18/02/2013 12:02

If it is 6 months away can you not ensure there is a mould-free room for him to nap in and hire a babysitter or have him in a tent nearby ? I'd be aware that if he gets overtired he may to want to be taken away by strangers, so maybe enlist help of relatives , any teenage nieces or children of family friends perhaps who could befriend him all day ?

tt7488 · 18/02/2013 12:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LIZS · 18/02/2013 12:37

If she is going to get so drunk then is she really the right person to look after your ds at all ?

Original poster

tt7488 · 18/02/2013 12:41

I meant that quite jovially sorry realise now how that came across! She is not some kind of crazy alcoholic! I imagine everyone will be quite drunk.

There are lots of people staying in the house where my son will be staying so it will be fine. It is the transporting back that I am worried about,

OP posts:

PhyllisDoris · 18/02/2013 12:44

To be honnest, I'd probably just let him fall asleep at the party, and then lay him down on a couple of chairs or cushions and cover him with a blanket. You can carry him home then to wherever he will be sleeping the night - chances are he won't even wake up.
It's only one night after all.

Original poster

tt7488 · 18/02/2013 14:07

He is a horrific sleeper and that would never happen now. But can I be hopeful that that will change by August? That is what I would like to do ideally also so that he can be part of the party for as long as he can manage.

OP posts:

PandaNot · 18/02/2013 14:17

I too would just leave him at the party. My two would have just found somewhere to sleep, it's not like you're going to make a habit of it.

badtemperedaldbitch · 18/02/2013 14:25

i'm a cm and one of the children i look after is in this position. I've agreed, that when the lo has had enough, call me and i'll come and get her.

pookamoo · 18/02/2013 14:31

bring his buggy and a nice blanket, and his teddy, and a bottle of milk (or whatever he has) and get someone to take him for a little walk when he gets too tired. He can nodd off in the buggy and be parked up in a corner somewhere. :)

HappyAsASandboy · 18/02/2013 14:49

We attended a wedding in the summer, when our twins were nearly 2.

We took buggies, night time teddies etc. when they got tired, we took them for a walk in the buggies, then parked them in a dark room, off the main room. Checked on them every 5 mins. They were fine.

I would do the same in your marquee. Park him in a dark corner. They're not normally worried about noise when they get that tired.

Then your mum can push him back to her accommodation in the buggy?

biglips · 21/02/2013 19:56

same advice as HappyAsASandboy as if you can, bring his buggy, blanket and nightime milk bottle (if he still have it). As kids would sleep through anything if they are that tired .

I'll be doing the same with my ds when he will be 11m old on my wedding day

TheBeanAndTheBee · 02/03/2013 08:36

Bit late to this but I would really really recommend spending the money on a nanny. Our DDs were 1 and 2 when we got married (she arrived late afternoon) and I'm so glad we did it. It meant that all the adults could totally relax and enjoy themselves. In fact the one thing I regret is not having her arrive in the morning so that we could all relax and get ready. Honestly I would have rather not had a cake and flowers and had a nanny for 24 hours instead.

RatPants · 02/03/2013 08:41

We are having an event nanny for our wedding this summer. We have two boys and Mil (well mil to be!) will keep them overnight the night before and then bring them to the wedding the next day so that we can have a good nights' sleep and get ready ourselves and then the event nanny will arrive in time for meals and speeches to help the nine or so attending children with their food (ivory dress here ) and do games and activities with them until the evening do starts. We have asked a nursery nurse from their day nursery to help out in the evening, will be putting them to bed upstairs in our hotel room and having this lady babysit them until the end of the party.

Flip