Tag Archives: babysitting

Do You Know Who Is Babysitting Your Children?

Do you know who is babysitting your children? Well if you live in Illinois, you just might want to do some digging. Recently the “Chicago Tribune” uncovered something pretty shocking and disturbing. Apparently Illinois subsidizes a childcare assistance program (totaling $750 million annually) that allows convicted rapists, child molesters and other violent criminals to babysit children who come from low income families. To me this speaks of two problems. One is the idea that children from low income families are not being given protection. The second is the absurdity of allowing these types of people to have access to any … 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 →

When Did Babysitting Become a Crime?

Apparently, when you live in Western Michigan and you agree to watch your neighbors’ kids for a few minutes each day. According to authorities in the Great State Lake, watching your friend’s children for about 40 minutes each morning as they wait for the school bus is not considered “babysitting,” it’s called running a daycare. Or, more accurately, in the words of Michigan authorities, your good deed is known as “operating an illegal child care home.” You say tomato, I say tomahto. Lisa Snyder calls her situation “outrageous,” and frankly, I agree with her. The Middleville, Michigan, mom is being … Continue reading →

How Young is Too Young to Be Left Home Alone?

As our children begin to grow, we may be wondering when it is okay to leave them alone. How old should they be when you allow them to be home alone from the time they get home from school until you get home from work? Is it okay to go out for a date night and leave a child home in the evening? What about a simple walk around the block? How old can your child be when you leave him in the car to run into the store? Years ago, parents didn’t worry about such things, I think. I … Continue reading →

Is it a Home Business or Free Babysitting?

My kids are older now, but when they were younger—still elementary school age—I was working in my first home business. I worked consulting with nonprofit organizations on management, structure and fundraising. Since I worked from home, my children’s friends and their friends’ parents often just assumed I was a stay-at-home parent and that I was available to supervise. Many home business owners wrestle with being treated like a free drop-in sitter. It can be tough because many of us ARE looking after our own children. We are available parents to them and trying to work at the same time. Part … Continue reading →

Babysitting Duties for Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby

Yesterday morning around seven I got a call from our across the street neighbor and good friend Cindy. She was in a pinch. Her second oldest boy, Josh, was sick, but she was supposed to set up the book fair at their school that day. “Is there anyway you can watch him for a few hours?” “Of course!” Initially she needed to drop him off at 7:30 when she left to take her other son to school, but her husband decided to take the morning off. That way she could set up until about noon, come home, and he could … Continue reading →

Baby Sitting Has Gone High Tech

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It used to be that my mom would find baby sitters among her friends who had teenagers. This way, she knew them and she was helping her friends out by giving their kids a job. However, with the advent of internet popularity it is becoming increasingly rare to find a babysitter this way. Babysitting has gone high tech with online profiles and community support websites. Here are just some of your options if you don’t have a teen age neighbor to call: Sitter City This site even has pet sitters available so you can get a reliable sitter to watch … Continue reading →

Two Tips for Frugal Baby Sitting

Want to save money on baby sitting expenses? Read on for these tips that will let you have a night on the town without breaking the bank. I’m ashamed to admit it, but my husband and I don’t have a date night very often. With three young children, baby sitting expenses can turn a simple trip to the movies into a major expense. The average rate here is about $5-7 per child, per hour. So three hours away from home would cost us $45-63 before we even count in an actual activity like a movie or dinner. Sometimes a sitter … Continue reading →

Dilemna: What Do You Do When Kids Have The Day Off From School?

When I was a kid I looked forward to early dismissals and days off. As a parent I have a whole different perspective on the matter. Take today for instance, all public schools in Mobile County dismissed students at 11:50 for some type of teacher in-service training. Seems like I had just dropped Tyler off when it was time to return to get him. And while I certainly think teachers need on-going training in order to be more effective teachers this did throw a monkey wrench into my work plans. But I shouldn’t complain, I work from home and the … Continue reading →

How to Treat Your Babysitter (So She’ll Want to Come Back)

Many people, leave their kids with their parents or relatives, but we are not so lucky. We don’t live near enough to relatives to get a grandparent to watch the children for a few hours while we go out so. . .we have to hire babysitters. If you are in the same situation, you know that having a great babysitter is a HUGE asset when it comes to parenting. Here is some baby sitter etiquette to keep your good babysitters happy so they’ll want to keep working for you: #1. Be clear about what you expect a babysitter to do … Continue reading →