- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Leaving LO with a babysitter...
Has anyone left their child with a sitter yet? And does anyone have feelings they would like to share regarding this?
My son is eight weeks old, and the longest I have left him has been no more than an 1.5 hours to go to the grocery store etc. I will be returning to work after the holidays, so I am soaking up all the time I can get with him while I am staying at home.
Now my sister and I were pregnant at the same time (how cool huh?) and she has a nine week old. She doesn't share my...idk..."clingy-ness" and gives her baby to my mom to watch allllllll the time. She is always going to do fun things with her friends, san-baby, and is planning an overnight trip in the near future. I know that it mainly boils down to personal parenting styles, but I couldn't dream of leaving my two month old with his grandma overnight!
My mom calls me all the time and asks me to leave my DS with her so the "boys can play", but I truly enjoys spending time with my LO, and I don't need her to help raise him. Now I am starting to feel like my mom is favoring my LO's cousin because of all the time she spends with him, and I don't want DS to feel that way when he gets older and understands whats going on.
So I guess what I am asking is for opinions on how I should handle this, because I have no intentions of dropping my kid off on my mom's doorstep so I can go live my lifestyle of before I got pregnant, but I want my LO to bond with his grandma as well.
phhhew sorry that was so long
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Leaving LO with a babysitter...
I can assure you there will come a day (probably in the near future) you will want some time to yourself. You will want the freedom of being able to leave your child with a sitter, without sadness, and worrying that your kid is standing at the door crying for mom. If you start occassionally now, you and the baby will both get accustomed to lo being in someone else's care.
I left my daughter with my parents very early on, and she is great with traveling, staying with sitters, even overnights with friends, and has been since day one. She will go on two week european vacations without even thinking twice about missing her family.
My nephew, finally stopped standing at the door crying "mommy come get me" when he turned 5 and had to go to kindergarten without Mom.
Really, I promise you would rather have option one.
If you aren't ready to leave LO with your mom yet, and are worried about the bond just visit more often.
That being said, I have to agree with Libby. There is going to come a time when you are ready to leave baby and the act is only going to be that more difficult because you may have waited too long (for both of you).
As for your sister, good for her. I wish my parents had room in their condo for both of our girls to be spending the night. I would love nothing more than a night away with DH and a whole nights sleep! For now, I'll just take the coulple hours we get.
I've left DD with my mom and MIL a few times. It's nice to get out and just have some alone time. We visit a lot though, and when we do, the grandparents or aunts/uncles are always holding her.
I am having surgery next week, and she is going to stay with my parents for the first night. It will be her first night with someone else. Then she is going to spend a couple of days (not nights) with MIL and I'll have help when she is with me. I won't be able to lift her, so I have no choice. I'm also going back to work in January, and she will either be with my mother or at daycare. Leaving her for a few hours here and there now will help with the transition of leaving her all day, everyday next month.
Ultimately though, do what you feel comfortable with.