I'd like to start an item about babysitting.  Are you looking for a sitter?
Do you have a favorite sitter who might like some more business?  Are you 
willing to sit (non parents) or do a co-op swap (parents)?  What special tips
do you have for making a kid-free outing a pleasant experience for everyone?
Any favorite stories?      This might also be a good place to talk about
day care providers and experiences.  Happy hunting!

48 responses total.

I have quite a story.  We don't go out or anything very much, but a while
back (2+ years ago) we had a Friday-evening-&-all-day-Saturday conference
we wanted to go to.  So Grace asked the older sister of someone in Jonathan's
(then) preschool to babysit.  Saturday night, after we had paid her and taken
her home, we discovered that she had done the dishes, (I think) vacuumed
a couple of rooms - not sure quite what else, as if that isn't enough.  No
prior discussion, no extra pay, she never said anything.  This is a really
precious memory.  (Grace mentioned it to her mother, who said something
like: this is Melanie?  She never does housework at *home*!)

The other one, several years earlier, that comes to mind is not so nice.
We had a weekly evening event, & had a neighbor girl babysit regularly.
After a while we found we were missing a couple of books of stamps.  Then
a calculator and a cheap portable tape player.

This response has been erased.

(*Our* kids have usually been excited to be left with someone else.)

Timothy went through the usual periods of not liking to be left, or of token
fusses just til mom was out of sight, but we've played "pass the baby" with
him since almost before he was born, so his circle was "mom and all the people
she trustst" rather than just mama and papa.  He loves adult attention and sees
new people as fans in the making.  He's made fans of most of the add
adults he's ever met.  Gareth, on the other hand... I've tried nursing and
cuddling before leaving, staying 'til he was engaged with something, giving
him a snack as I left (worked for Tim), just saying goodbye and going, etc. He
is just now starting to be contented for a short time with familiar people if
he's engaged with something and I go out.  I haven't dared to try a stranger.
He knows one person and her house and is contented there, but so far only that
one, and she's not always available.  We don't need solutions, we need a
miracle. !  Oops, there's that return key again: short pinkies- I don't reach
all the way to delete every time, sigh.  

Who remembers their favorite babysitter from there own childhood?

From my own childhood?  My parents did *not* go out in the evenings,
and I only once remember being left with a sitter of an afternoon.
She was a pleasant middle-aged woman who read us a book about some
cowboy, that's all I remember.
        More recently: Dave's recollection of Melanie is correct.
She *cleaned* the kitchen, including dishes, vacuuming the floor, and
bringing order to the COUNTERS!  Ditto the "dining" room, I think.
She may well have been accustomed to more obstreperous kids than ours,
and felt bored with time on her hands -- also no TV to watch.  If she
lived in the next block instead of at least 5 miles out in the country,
she would still be in our household budget every week or so.
        However, being human, Dave has forgotten something else.
Our two have not *always* been happy to be left.  The very first time
we went anywhere without Jonathan (he was just over 8 months and we
went to a G&S matinee) he cried the whole time we were gone.  After
that he didn't mind so much, and eventually we found an excellent
sitter for him whose coming he looked forward to.  With Paul we have
had many fewer child-excluded engagements, but during the first year
of his life I had to keep an ear cocked  even when I left him in the
church nursery -- sometimes sobs were token and quickly ended, but
when they came from the heart only Mommy would do, and it was easier
for everybody to have Mommy come back for a few minutes (and maybe
take him into the service for a while) than to suffer 30 minutes of
heartbroken screaming and then summon Mommy after all.  I always
wondered if this related to his neonatal experience (6 weeks premature,
3 days intensive care, 3 weeks special care) or if it was just his
personality or his allergic indispositions.
        As for babysitting myself -- sounds like a great idea.  We
live in Milan, most Grexers don't, so during the school year this
would not be practical.  Maybe during the summer we could have a
Grex playgroup.

like the playgroup idea.  Kids of comparatively educated parents sometimes
have trouble finding a "peergroup".
I remember clinging to my mom and asking her not to go, then settling down and
enjoying the gentle older woman who smelled comfortable and taught me card 
games.  Later, I remember asking to "babysit myself", being unable to resist
the TV, and rushing guiltily to turn it off just as I heard the key in the
door.  Of course my folks found it still warm and me faking sleep, but they
didn't usually bother to comment.
We took Timothy with us most places, being more willing to take turns waling
him if needed than willing/able (in rural Vermont) to find a suitable sitter.
I don't like to use kids for an infant. (whoa- that was walking, not waling!)
With two, it's rather harder, and Gareth is both wiggly and talky- not good
for concerts.  I think we do him a disservice by not accustoming him to public
manners from the start, but I haven't the fortitude. Nor the money to buy a 
third ticket to a concert so Timothy can come. Sigh.

This response has been erased.

doesn't lack of a TV make it hard to get return engagements? >:}

Actually, we really rarely go out anywhere without the kids.  The reasons
for this are many & varied, but among them are penury, general lack of
energy, and preference for reading over other forms of entertainment.
(Bibliophiles who are also low-energy types should *not* get married to
each other unless they *want* to stay home all the time. 8-{)> )

During one period when we had a weekly meeting to go to & a regular sitter,
she sometimes brought a portable TV.

that's depressing- being unable to entertain herself for a couple of hours. At
least she found a solution.

The first time I think it was because she was supposed to watch
something for school (she was only about 14).  After that I suspect
she brought it because she remembered that Jonathan had enjoyed it,
but it wasn't a regular thing and they were never watching it when
we came home.  More often jumping on the mini-trampoline.
        

Yes, I don't think "unable to entertain herself" is correct in this case.
I have known kids that age for whom it seems to be.  (Ingrid was really
neat.  Is, I should say, though we don't see her much these days.)

sorry, a bit of residual cynicism leaking in.

I would be willing to BE a sitter for anyone who is interested.  I can't
work on Mondays or Wednesdays.  I can't work any time next week.
Name: Bjorn Arnesen
Pronunciation of First Name: Byurn
Address: 2983 Briarcliff
          Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (313) 996-3976

I too am willing to babysit-  just so you know- I'm nineteen now and
have babysat since I was 11.  I have also babysat for kids from one month
to nine years.
If you're interested I'm free rather often, as a university student I
can rearrange my schedule without too many problems.
I can be reached at 764- 5985.

must be nice! (being free I mean) 

If you need me, Kami knows my number until 5/7.

It looks like my schedule is about to become a lot more hectic, but
it's still worth trying to get ahold of me.

oh, do tell?

Kami, to which response art thou refering?

BTW- I am living at home again.  I'll post more conflicts later.  Just
remember: Noting on Wednesday's before 19:30, Nothing on Mondays 1900-
2000.  All other times are free.  Don't call after Midnight.  I'll be
up, but my parents 'll be pissed.

If Kami is referring to me, well I'm starting this class and need
to get caught up and it could take time. :)

I believe I've managed to confuse myself- has anyone seen my brain?

It's in the gun closet.  The key is on the dresser.  The ammo is
on the pillow.

Don't worry Kami, it will come home eventually. :)

It's hidden beneath one of the trigger locks.  The trigger lock keys are on
the shelf above the guns in the gun closet.

Enough drift says I, the king of drift.
Let us return to the original topic.

IF THIS IS STILL AN ACTIVE ITEM, i'M LOOKING FOR a baby sitter for 
a 2 year old and a 3 year old, pref. someone who has their own car - we live
in Whitmore lake, and by the time I'd gotten back from picking up a sitter,
there isn'
t muc more evening left...

That is a bit of a ride.  You know, maybe we'd have better luck if this item
were linked to genx...

Okay, here is my concept for babysitters:

Find someone you like and will be able to get along with quite well, but 
don't really want to marry.  Have a child with him/her.  Live apart and 
have separate lives, interests, and lovers.  Then when you are busy the
other parent can watch the child, and vice versa.

I know it sounds strange, but it worked this way for me (We tried marriage
but it didn't quite work.) and has been fabulous.  Chris has never really
had a babysitter except for a couple of stints at Robins Nest when my 
schedule and Barb's didn't quite mesh.

Well, it worked tolerably well for you, Robert.  I think I'd kill the other
parent within a year... (Too little accountability)  Also, what we really 
need is a 3rd adult, preferably on 3rd shift so that they are wide awake and
fresh about the time we are both worn out and ready to shoot the boys. Then
too, even if I knew a whole lot more teenagers, Gareth is frequently too hard
to deal with (unless you are stone deaf) to be left with kids or near strangers
Getting better, I think, despite teething.  

This response has been erased.

I think they do this expressly for the purpose of making their parents out
to be liars.

My two year old, Tori, only throws temper tantrums for me - no one else.
sigh.  I guess that means she loves me, but....

Yes, there are other suffering parents of two-ish kids
out there!  Our little darling reserves her fits for
mom and dad.  (She wouldn't think of it around her doting
grandparents.)  I think it's karma-within-our-lifetime.
I was a brat as a child.  I can even remember kicking
my sitter in the shins.  When ours acts up, I think back
to how I was and how I probably deserve anything she
can dish out.  Besides, it could even be genetics.  She'll
mellow out eventually.  I know I did.

what, that little angel <set sarcasm=off>

Actually, we're worried that our second child is going to
be too mellow.  If so, she won't stand a chance around 
"the little angel".  

Maybe she's just biding her time, & will erupt later. 

re #36: I have the same concern with my older, David (3).  He's
almost *too* mellow.  On the other hand, we've noticed
that he's also very zen about things.  Where Tori plows
straight through to her goal, David sort of bobs and weaves around
obsticles - it may take him awhile, but he *does* get where
he is going.  The boy doesn't distract worth beans!.

Our daughter is also showing some signs of dad's insanely
long attention span.  It makes it really inconvenient if
you're trying to distract her from playing with some
hazardous thing or drop some topic of conversation.
It'll be good for her later on, but it can be a nuisance
in the meantime.

Back on the original topic of the thread, some sort of
a babysitting co-op is of interest to us.  It's probably
going to be even greater interest after our second arrives
in November.  Is there anyone besides Kami and myself
that would be interested in organizing something?  One
idea that I've heard about is that some sort of party is
held for a few kids.  This party is hosted by one of the
parents in the coop.  The kids have a great time and it
frees up a few of the parents in the group to get away
from the kids a little while.  Of course this assumes that
the kids are close enough in age to have a good time
playing together.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss