How do you feel about hiring a babysitter when your lo is going to be sleeping the whole time?
I want my husband to go to an outdoor movie with me on Friday and it starts after our lo's bedtime. I feel weird hiring a babysitter to come over and..... read a book? Watch TV?
Does anyone else feel weird hiring someone just to sit at your house?
pineapple / 12526 posts
We do it all the time. We prefer to put C to bed ourselves and then go out. The babysitter is just there in case something goes wrong.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
Nope. I prefer it that way. We rarely go out, but if we do, we always put the kids to bed first and then the sitter comes. Easy money for them.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Yes! This is why I feel bad asking someone to "babysit" R so we can have a date night. She goes to bed so early, so all they do is sit there and watch TV.
apricot / 335 posts
It feels weird but I prefer it! I've only not put P down once for bedtime and I like to know she's all settled before I head out. Then I can relax 
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I prefer it so that we can follow out nighttime routine and he will still sleep like we were there.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
In cases like that, then I ask a parent friend to come over and hang out at our house in the off chance the kids wake up. If they do, then they can call me and I come home to take care of baby!
Then when my parent friend wants to watch a movie after their LO goes down, we can always return the favor!
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
Nope. I'm pretty sure this is the majority of what evening babysitters do.
pineapple / 12566 posts
That is mostly how it works for us. The babysitter just has to do dinner, bath and bedtime and then DS sleeps the rest of the time. Luckily he is easy to put to bed. We don't have a TV, but the babysitter can do whatever she wants after.
On the other side, I used to nanny and I was often called to babysit in the evening. Once the little girl was in bed, I just read.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I've been that babysitter. Don't feel bad- easy money for them and they come prepared with a book or watch TV.
nectarine / 2132 posts
as a former nanny/babysitter, my favorite jobs were the ones where i did absolutely nothing!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@mediagirl: We do it once a week so that we can go to the gym. We do pay her a bit less since there is no work involved.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Nope, this is when we ask my mom to stay over. She'll watch korean dramas or do her laundry, etc. 
grapefruit / 4819 posts
I loved it when I had to babysit after the kids were in bed! Nothing better than getting paid to read a book or veg out on the couch watching tv.
As a parent, I prefer to put LO down myself and know she's settled before I head out.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
This is the only type of babysitter we use! We put the kids to bed then leave.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@mrbee: all of our friends are going to be where we want to be on Friday!
Sounds like this is the norm and we really shouldn't feel weird about it. This is the first time I've even considered having someone other than one of our parents "watch" M while we go out so, it's all new to me.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
@mediagirl: yeah, when my parents are here we usually pop out to the store, a quick date for dessert, or SOMEthing every single night!! We don't have any family nearby so we always have to pay a babysitter, which makes going out really expensive 
even if you have a date that doesn't cost anything, you still have to pay $15/hr.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@mediagirl: woohoo! Do it!
I would actually be less worried about it if I knew she would just stay sleeping.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@mrs. wagon: yeah. One of the daycare teachers has told us she will sit for us. She's "only" $10/hour. It's just the thought of paying someone $10/hr to sit on our couch and read a book.. I just...ugh.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@mediagirl: don't think of it that way. Think of it as paying someone $10/hr so you and DH can get some alone time as adults. Without running after a toddler!
honeydew / 7444 posts
Think about it this way. That $10/hour is worth it if your LO wakes up for some reason and the sitter has to deal with it! Our sitters always looked after her after she went to sleep, but it was money well spent. Adult time is always nice, and i'm sure you deserve a night out.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
@mediagirl: you could hire a cleaner and tell them, if the baby wakes up, get the baby and call me?
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