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Guests
Lorraine
Erica
Hubs and I haven’t been out socializing much this holiday season. In fact we haven’t been out much since we moved here, the reason being we haven’t got that sought after commodity – a regular, reliable babysitter that we know and trust. Such things are like gold dust.
When you enter a community and join in some local mommy groups you’re soon chatting, laughing and sharing vital tips and tricks with other new moms. However, there’s nothing guaranteed to turn the conversation than daring to ask ‘Who’s your babysitter?’ Moms will not give up their babysitter. And rightly so – offer their name around and you’ll regret it when the next event comes up and yours is booked. Even your best friend is going to keep her babysitter’s details to herself.
As a teenager I had quite a few regular babysitting gigs. My mum is a lovely lady who worked as a childminder and helped out at the school, so people obviously thought I would be equally good with children. Not true, but it kept me in fags and booze magazines and tapes (that’s CDs to the youngsters out there), so I was happy winging it.
My least favourite family to sit for lived on a fairly remote farm. The kid was no problem – she was always asleep, but I’m not sure what scared me most: the serious darkness outside; the strange noises in the house; the semi-wild farm cats that would launch themselves over the back of the sofa onto my shoulder as I sat watching TV; the ancient, wheezing dog that I was always afraid would expire on my watch; or the slightly creepy husband who used to give me a lift home.
My most lucrative but most taxing job was babysitting 3 kids, ages 9, 7 and 4 for an hour or so after school when their parents’ job shifts overlapped. I was 14 or 15 and had no clue whatsoever about childcare. I was just a non-related older kid in the room to stop them demolishing the house, eating all the biscuits and tearing sheds out of each other. It didn’t always work. The only qualification I had was that they knew me and when it comes to entrusting your kids to someone else this quality goes a long way.
Of course, the best babysitters are family (not least because you don’t have to pay them – the price of a babysitter can double the price of a night out). Sadly I’m not lucky enough to have my parents in the vicinity – of course they would always be the #1 choice as babysitters. Hub’s old Mum can barely look after herself. My brother is local and tries his best, but will be the first to describe himself as a ‘chocolate teapot’ babysitter – fine as long as the sitting duties don’t go beyond a story and bed; forget any diaper activity.
My friend and I have a mutually beneficial arrangement where we babysit each other’s kids once a month so the other couple can go out. But occasionally it would be nice to go out all together.
To be honest we were no better off in Vancouver and we had the added obstacle that we needed an actual baby sitter, not someone to just sit with older kids. This really does require know-how. The best place to find someone to take care of your child is through recommendations, but where do you find a babysitter if your friends are keeping theirs under wraps? After finding and losing a few babysitters in desperation I even considered Craigslist…but come on, I’m sure these people are reliable and honest, but at the end of the day you’re entrusting your child and the contents of your home to a complete stranger; in the end I couldn’t go through with it.
So now I have a plan: I’m thinking of paying the young girl next door a retainer. Currently she’s a little too young at 12, but if I snap her up now, in a few years I’ll be set.
Filed under: Parenting Tagged: | Baby, Baby sitting, Babysitter, Choosing a babysitter, Family, Finding a reliable babysitter, Motherhood, Parenting
