https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:16:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275997 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 13:29:57 +0000 JennyG 2275997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We haven't used them often, but I found my sitters through moms I work with. In both cases, they were the daughters of teachers I work with. I had them come over while I was home (sort of mother's helper) before leaving them with DS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275995 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 13:25:25 +0000 Mae 2275995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the responses! It's so interesting to see how people handle this. And it shook out about how I thought it would. According to the poll right now, 5% never go out, 60% of people only leave their kids with family or close friends, another 20% would only hire a babysitter they personally knew, and only 15% hire "stranger" babysitters. Which I guess is about what I expected (that it is certainly not "uncommon" but also not the norm nor are we super weird for not doing it!) :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275979 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 13:01:59 +0000 Jess1483 2275979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Generally, LO stays with family (mostly my mom, sometimes my dad, on very rare occasions when he's sleeping with my brother). On the few other times I've needed care, I've either hired one of my employees (I run a business that mostly employees high school/college-aged kids with an interest in children), or left him with a family friend who has 3 children older than my LO who he adores. If I didn't have so many options, I'd feel comfortable with a babysitter who was referred to us by a friend or family member. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275973 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 12:58:24 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2275973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had my parents, my sisters, the nanny, 2 of my neighbors, and 3 high school girls that were recommended to us by other moms in our neighborhood. Happy with all of them and use them interchangeably- just depends on who is available and when it is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275895 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:13:28 +0000 Chillybear 2275895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is almost 2 and we have only used our parents and my SIL (Who has 2 girls close in age to ours). Oh and my aunt... Anyway what i was going to see if the need arose, I would go down a few avenues... We have a few neighbors that we're friendly with that have older HS/college age girls I could ask, but I would probably go to one of her daycare teachers first. They know each other already and I'm familiar with them and would have no problem hiring them to watch her in my home.</p> <p>Another option that I have done with my SIL is trade off... I watch her girls one night and another night she watches mine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275893 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:12:35 +0000 JoJoGirl 2275893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a babysitter who is a 'stranger' that we found through my local town mom's group. The only reason we haven't used her more often is because we can't afford to pay a sitter + go out :)</p> <p>The idea of it got a bit easier after she was over a year, her stranger anxiety was in super high gear before that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275890 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:10:56 +0000 regberadaisy 2275890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have only had family. Before it was just my ILs and well, they're fickle when it comes to bedtime. They offered once or twice but then fell through. Their the type that that means they don't want to do it. We've gone a few times since dd2 and it's because bil and his gf watch them. But we feel like it's hard to coordinate schedules. We're going to start paying someone. Either one of their daycare teachers or a daughter of his cousin who works at another day care. It's been 3.5 years and we've only had a handful of date nights. I'm over it. My cheap a$$ is paying for one so we can go on one whenever we want to and on our time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275872 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:37:14 +0000 BKCaribBaby 2275872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have no local family and they don't visit often. It has been our nanny (rarely) or another nanny who had become our regular date night babysitter. That said, we are moving away from using her and may look into a high school senior type babysitter. LO is usually in bed by 7:30, so we always put her to bed ourselves.</p> <p>I need to have an occasional night out, or I would start climbing the walls.</p> <p>ETA: I don't feel comfortable asking friends as they have their own families that I want them to spend time with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275869 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:33:56 +0000 californiadreams 2275869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i couldn't vote because we get to go on date nights when our parents visit, so every few months - my mom visits the most.</p> <p>However, we also use babysitters for the occasional date night, especially if it is for a special occasion. But our babysitters are not people who we only hired for irregular outings - they are our former nannies! So we know them quite well and they developed a good relationship with LO when they cared for him every day for several months. We have two - one that nannied for 4 months and the other for 3 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275866 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:29:42 +0000 MOMTOLITTLEB 2275866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have plenty of family, fortunately. If I was looking to hire a sitter, I would ask my friend who uses a local daycare to recommend a teacher. I like the idea of exchanging date nights with a friend who has kids. We only have one child so I look forward to opportunities for him to play with other kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275858 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:23:46 +0000 AmandaB8 2275858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a set of friends that's just starting out in life, and they don't have kids (or cable). We DVR their favorite shows and in exchange they hang out at our house while our kid sleeps. </p> <p>We have a couple of friends we exchange date nights for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275471 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 22:46:24 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2275471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: hum ... I grew up in the Midwest and everyone used sitters. Maybe times have changed there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275395 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:20:37 +0000 ScarletBegonia 2275395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a high school teacher and have reconnected with a couple of former students who are now going to University close by to us. They are super reliable and don't charge the earth. They do daytime or evening sitting, but if we want to go out overnight we get my mother in law. I'm in Australia and my parents are in Canada but both retired and usually come to stay for 2-3 months every year - this year we're planning a 4 or 5 night trip away from our son while they are here - SO EXCITED! Come on January!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275388 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:16:46 +0000 matador84 2275388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>always a sitter. we use girls we love from the daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275387 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:15:07 +0000 LilSprinkles 2275387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a few sitters we use for date nights. We moved two months before DS was born, so the first thing I did when I got here was research for babysitters. I ended up getting recommendations from military spouses I had just met or from people my DH worked with.<br /> If I had any family nearby, I would use them too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275204 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 19:30:04 +0000 Mae 2275204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SPARKLER: I sort of feel like it is. I live in the midwest and I definitely feel like babysitters are less of a thing here than in bigger cities. (I have 4 friends with kids in our city and 1 uses a sitter. The other friend I have who uses a sitter weekly is from ATL and said all her friends there use sitters all the time). </p> <p>@yoursilverlining: totally agree. I miss grown up time out. Although we're lucky that LO now sleeps week so we have like 2-3 hours after bed every night to hang together! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2275011 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:36:48 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2275011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So far at 3 months in, only family and friends have watched DD. But I would have zero concerns about hiring a babysitter so long as they came with references from people that I know and trust. </p> <p> I had tons of high school aged babysitters as a kid when I grew up and I was one of those babysitters for other kids all throughout middle school and high school. I know that they can be completely reliable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274960 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:59:39 +0000 Anagram 2274960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: I found a HS girl (she's about to be a senior) who babysits for us very occasionally...like once every 2 or 3 months. I "found" her by going to a babysitter meet-and-greet that our local HS puts on each year. They have a "safe sitters" program where the kiddos get CPR certified and take classes on child management, etc.</p> <p>But honestly, we have only used her when she comes over and WE put LO to bed and then leave, so all she has to do is be there in case LO wakes up (she never has yet) and watch tv, haha. Easy-peasy.</p> <p>We also have home security cams, so even though she came highly recommended by the program coordinator, I totally checked in on them a few times the first few times she came over. She was always just sitting on the same place on the couch. I told her to help herself to any snacks we have, but she's so polite she hardly moves! Once, she didn't even change the channel from what we had it on. =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274951 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:50:43 +0000 fussygal 2274951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My goal is to get out of the house with DH more this year! I wish we had more friends in this area to watch DD for date nights! Both my mom and inlaws live in town so we usually leave her with one of them, and it's always been at our house until midnight-ish since she didn't slept through the night until she was 15 months old.</p> <p>I did find a sweet nanny on care.com last year to watch her during the day a few hours a week when my mom couldn't make it. I WFH so I was comfortable with the stranger aspect only because I was around. I think if I had good referrals from friends and family I'd be more okay with a stranger - but DD is slow to warm up to some people so maybe I'd have them come over a bit early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274933 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:34:32 +0000 MrsStar 2274933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only my mum has watched her for date nights (so like 5 times in almost 3 years). My bff looked after her for a few hours when I went into labor with dd's little sister earlier this month. I wouldn't trust any one else to look after her. And I'm not planning to be away from dd2 for the next few months at least. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274921 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:27:37 +0000 Ree723 2274921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Between my mom's frequent long term visits, and DH's parents now living ten minutes away, we usually have grandparents watch the LOs. We do have a regular babysitter though that is a student at the local secondary school. DH's sister is a teacher there and it is a very well regarded school, well known for just how good the kids are, so she compiled a list of the most responsible students she knows who would be interested in babysitting and we went from there. She usually babysits in the afternoon, after school, but we have used her for an evening before and were very happy. It was a bit daunting, leaving my girls with a 16 yr old for the first time, but it was fine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274920 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:26:54 +0000 Mrs D 2274920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>50/50 with Family and a lady from DDs DayCare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274912 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:24:31 +0000 looch 2274912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would love to find a sitter, but my son has his routines and doesn't like to deviate. It takes him awhile to trust new people and I don't think I'd be able to find anyone that would be willing to lay down with my son to go to sleep at 7:30, frankly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274908 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:23:00 +0000 namaste 2274908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No one. :( I signed up for Care.com and we're looking into finding a sitter. Family is unreliable/far and all of our friends with kids are overwhelmed and our friends without kids are busy in the evenings (they've offered. not sure how to approach?). Eight months and counting with LO just being with us... :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids/page/2#post-2274903 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:21:18 +0000 BlueWolverine 2274903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have date night every other week and LO's either former or current day care teacher babysits. We don't have family nearby and view it as an investment in our marriage (because it's not cheap!). We have a close friend who will hang out after she's in bed.</p> <p>Our former babysitter (before she moved away) was LOs part time nanny that we found on care.com. She was fantastic and I miss her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids#post-2274898 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:18:50 +0000 BandDmommy 2274898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: agreed adult time is very important! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids#post-2274894 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:16:36 +0000 catlady 2274894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only family members so far, but I am hoping one of LO's former daycare teachers can become a more regular babysitter for us soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids#post-2274886 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:06:45 +0000 gentlelunette 2274886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Only family members so far, but I have a couple of very close friends who I would trust with DD (5 months). The reality is, I'm not overly comfortable with ANYONE looking after her but the few times over had to be out, I've left her with my mom, sister or MiL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids#post-2274874 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:54:43 +0000 yoursilverlining 2274874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So far, only our parents have watched E - - but that isn’t because I don’t trust anyone else to do it or whatever, we are just lucky that E is the only grandchild and our parents each live within ½ an hour from our house. They get first dibs on babysitting, then we would connect with good friends or her daycare teachers who babysit on the weekend (and have offered to babysit should we need).</p> <p>If we didn’t have close family, I would definitely hire someone. Time alone with our spouse to be grownups and not just parents is IMPORTANT! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-watches-your-kids#post-2274873 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:54:19 +0000 sungirl 2274873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I said only family but we did use a neighbors college age daughter a couple of times, but my 10 yr old stepdaughter was there too and I felt more comfortable because she knew LOs routine and where everything was plus she could let us know if anything weird went on. She has since gotten a real job and moved out on her own so no longer an option. </p>