Tag Archives: babysitter

A Case of Neglect

When I was in my 20s and 30s I baby-sat professionally through agencies. It was fun work and I met a lot of good families. I also met a number of eccentric families. I’m sure that’s to be expected. One family in particular has always stood out in my memory. It was the only time I sat for this family with three boys. After the dad opened the door to me and I introduced myself he insisted that the boys hug me. We had just met and I hadn’t even walked inside. The dad proceeded to tell me that if … Continue reading →

The Sitter Dilemma

I never knew the difficulties that would come along with having children. They’re not unmanagable and they’re not so strenuous that children should be avoided (because children are great) — they’re just stressful. The problem stems primarily from loving them so much. If you love them and you are responsible for them then you can’t just give them to someone for a certain period of time and hope for the best. No, there’s so much more involved. There are emotions and pacing the floor and headaches from thinking too much about it. Worry is the name of the game. You … Continue reading →

Babysitting Co-Ops

Babysitters are expensive, and living on one income can make it hard to hire one. So what are you supposed to do when you have to go someplace without the kids? If you are lucky enough, you are blessed to have family and friends who are willing to provide free babysitting services. However, if you are not so lucky, you may want to consider establishing a babysitting co-op with other parents in your area. A babysitting co-op is an arrangement with several parents to swap babysitting services with one another, at no cost. Babysitting co-ops can be started with several … Continue reading →

How Much Do You Pay Your Babysitter?

“Bankrupt by Babysitter!” It’s a mock headline, but one that is apropos after speaking to my friend in Atlanta, who claims her bank account, has been sapped by her babysitter. The babysitter she pays $15 an hour to watch her three kids (who are 2, 4, and 6). Fifteen bucks an hour! That’s more than I made working my first post-college job… and my second… and third—COMBINED! Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little (and by little I mean like 50 cents–COMBINED), but I think my exasperation is warranted. Fifteen dollars an hour for watching three well-behaved children watch TV for … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Television: The Electronic Babysitter

I have been criticized more than once for letting my toddler watch television. It is often referred to as the electronic babysitter, mostly by people who don’t think toddlers should watch television at all. However, I do not consider the television to be an electronic babysitter, so much as a source of both entertainment and education. There have been times when I have joked that I’m happy to have my electronic babysitter. That usually occurs when I desperately need to finish dinner and my son wants to play ball. I need a few minutes to get plates on the table … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Week in Review: June 9th Through June 15th

Well, this past week was my very first week of blogging here in the Baby Blog. How did I do? If you missed the articles about breast feeding having a greater benefit for girls or what to expect if your baby is jaundiced, check them out now. Here is the Baby Blog week in review for June 9th through June 15th. June 9th Baby Name Trends: Place Names What are some of the trends that are affecting baby names this year? Can you find a name that is both popular and unique at the same time? The key to a … Continue reading →

When a Child Hates the Daycare Center (or Babysitter)

We parents go to a lot of trouble to find the right babysitter(s) or daycare center—often touring, interviewing and checking references to find one that meets our standards. When our child doesn’t “take” to the new arrangement it can be incredibly frustrating, and hard to know exactly what we should do about it… The first step is to try to determine if the issues are related to the daycare, a specific childcare provider, other children, or separation anxiety. Of course, it could be attributed to other reasons too, but doing the investigation to figure out why and what is going … Continue reading →

It is Okay to get a Babysitter

I know that it can be expensive to hire a babysitter and I also know that as single parents, we may feel like we work so much and are away from our kids so much as it is, that hiring a babysitter is a bad thing. I have not yet met a single parent who did not carry around a fair amount of guilt and spending non-work, non-obligation time away from a child or children topped the list of guilt-inducing activities. I am here to say right now, however, that it is OKAY to hire a babysitter. If expense is … Continue reading →

Try Not to Use a Babysitter as Punishment

The other day, I was out and about and I heard a harried mother threaten: “Next time, you don’t get to come with me, you’ll have to stay home with a babysitter!” She spat out the word babysitter like she was threatening shackles and chains. This got me to thinking about what a treat it was for my own kids when they “got” to have a sitter–instead of presenting it as punishment, we always viewed it as a special date when the kids would get to “play” with the sitter and get a break from Mom! Babysitters have trouble enough … Continue reading →

What You Should NOT Have a Babysitter Do

With the summer months upon us, many of us will be utilizing babysitters more for our young children. And, as if safety isn’t a big enough issue, there are certain safety issues that should be taken under consideration when you do hire a babysitter to look after your child. As a matter of fact, there are certain things it is a good idea to NOT ask your babysitter to do: As a rule, babysitters should not be asked to take children swimming. I know this seems like being overly cautious and this is one of the premier summer-time activities, but … Continue reading →