Clicky poll re: family and babysitting

Zenya · March 2012

What is your situation.[Poll]

mylove2005 · March 2012

I should add only certain family members are allowed to

EastCoastBride · March 2012

I'm a mix of your first 2 options! My parents watch DS 2 days a week and then they also babysit for us on occasion too (mainly when we need to go away for a night). It's been great- they've built a really great bond w/ DS and he ADORES them, and we feel really safe w/ them watching him.

Andrewsgal · March 2012

We live 5 hours away from my family and 15 from DH's dad and step-mom. We use DH' s family when we take our week long trips once a year it is a win win, the kids love them and get to spend time with them but I don't have too:)

jehprb · March 2012

We live near family (my ILs are literally 1mile away) but only my sister is allowed to babysit. DS is 6 and has only ever been watched by my sister.

penguingrrl · March 2012

We're about an hour away from family (in three different directions... we're in the city and everyone else is around it) and if we need a sitter one family member or another can always do it. Aside from regular sitters when I was working f/t we've only used paid sitters a handful of times.

shouldbworkin · March 2012

EastCoastBride:
I'm a mix of your first 2 options!

Us too. My ILs live with us, so they watch our kids after school. My parents are all within 5-10 mins of us, but my dad is a snowbird. So, for an occassional night out, my parents will watch my kids, too.

AnnapolisLari · March 2012

My mom takes the kids every Tuesday so that I can run errands and generally have a break. She will also watch one or the other if I have appointments or school time with them.

While I was sick, she took them every day for weeks. I totally appreciate that.

DevonPow · March 2012

We don't live near any family, but my MIL will fly to us a few times a year to watch DS while DH and I go away for a weekend (or longer).

Angela814 · March 2012

We live close to my sister and DH's parents. They will all watch the girls occasionally. My sister is about 10 minutes away, so we do a lot together, but she doesn't babysit as much now that we have 2 kids (and she got a dog that takes up a lot of her time). ILs are about 35 minutes away, so they'll babysit for occasional nights out or during the day if DD2 is sick and can't go to daycare.

winomom22 · March 2012

What do you consider near? My parents live 50 minutes away from us and watch the girls only 3 times a year (DH's bday, my bday and our anniversary). My mom will come to our house and spend the night when she does this. They haven't had DD1 overnight since DD2 was born and I was in the hospital and have never taken DD2 or both girls over night although we are planning an overnight in May for my bday/anniversary. They kinda suck as grandparents....DH's dad and step-mom are even worse and never watch the kids and live the same distance, but his dad is older and in his 70s. We don't ask and they don't offer. In my parent's defense, they will watch the kids when we ask which is rare. DH's siblings are scattered and have never babysat. My siblings live the same distance away and rarely babysit. My older sister has taken DD1 on an overnight a few times, but she has a newborn now so that isn't happening anymore.

jlw2505 · March 2012

I personally would never use my family for daycare type sitting but my ILs have watched my girls the most out of the local family which includes DH's parents and his 2 sisters (both married, one with a few month old twins) and my sister and her family (kids are 8 and 11). My family is mainly out of state but my mom has helped out over the summer for a week (we go to her or she comes to us) and for a week when DH and I went out of town. My in town sister helps me drive my older DD to her speech class (2x) a week along with my ILS since DH and I work. My SILs have have watched the girls but not much (the one with Twins has only a few times before she got married so its been a while) but the other one has asked a few times to watch the girls or take them for outtings more now that they are older. She is actually watching them (with her DH) this weekend for a few hours so DH and I can have a date. My ILs are the hard ones, my MIL is having some issues so we are limiting the amount of time they are alone with my kids but they do watch them from time to time either at night (only if both are able) and when the kids do not have school but again only when both can be there or in a few weeks, DH's aunt will be in town for a visit and they will have my older DD for a day since she doens't have school. We just had the girls next door watch them for the 1st time this past weekend and plan to use them and one other neighbor girl more often now due to the MIL issues.

sunnyday016 · March 2012

My parents and my ILs are both about an hour away. My parents watch DD regularly- we meet with friends in their town 2x per month so DD stays with them while we do that. MIL will come out and watch her if we have random appts or want to go out on a date. Both my parents and ILs were really helpful when I was in the hospital having DS (we had a 5 day stay).

kickypants · March 2012

My mother lives about 10 minutes away and babysits pretty much whenever we ask. I'd say she averages 2-3 times a month for anything from date night to keeping oldest DS when he has a day off from school. She'll also occasionally pick the boys up from school/daycare if DH or I are held up at work. She's definitely our go-to person.

DH's family lives about 15 hours away.

j-w · March 2012

I'm a mix of your first 2 options. My parents live 10 mins away. My mom keeps the kids Mondays and Wednesdays while I work (I work with my dad). But, my parents will babysit pretty much whenever. My sister/BIL live across the street and it's really easy to have them pop over or send the kids over there for quick stuff. ie, if DD has an event at school, DS will spend an hour with my sister and/or BIL. My MIL lives 3 hours away and came up to babysit once when my entire family was doing something together. I try not to make it a habit because she is not as familiar with my kids as I'd like. I really try not to take advantage of family babysitting because I know I'm lucky that it's an option, but they all make themselves very available. BUT, my parents really like to keep the kids at their house because they have horse property so they have daily things to keep up with there and it is easier to just be there than at my house.

JulieRNbride · March 2012

We don't leave near my parents, and MIL would never be allowed to watch our kids. Once a year, my mom and dad take the kids so we can have a kid-free vacation and they will offer during the summer to take the kids for an extra day or two once in awhile if we are heading up to visit them....they go with Nana and Papa, and I work and DH will finish house chores, then we go up a day or two later. That is nice. We appreciate any and all help we get, because we have used daycare, friends, and neighbors and a mix of paid babysitters along the way.

My brother and SIL live close by and I have watched their two kids maybe once or twice for them, and same for us. They are busy, we are busy, and it just never seems to work out for babysitting swaps, but I would.

DH also has a sister that is a SAHM that I would swap sitting with, but she has five kids and I feel like adding my two would just be mean for her....so I hardly ever ask!

MirandaHobbes · March 2012

My parents live 3 hours away. They come down to see us every couple months and we will go out on a date while they watch DS. A couple times I've been in dire need of a sitter and have offered to pay gas mileage to have my mom come babysit overnight. Fortunately my mom is happy to do this- it's a win-win for her, she gets a tank of gas to come down to the city to shop and see DS. DHs' parents live out of state.

UGAbride · March 2012

My parents live an hour away, and my mom still works full-time, so they can only help out on weekends. That said, they are pretty much willing and able to come anytime we ask, and that probably works out to about 2-3 times a month on average. I really try not to take advantage, because mom does work so hard and needs time to do her stuff (personal errands, relax, etc) on the weekends. My dad is a pilot, so he is available sometimes if I'm in a pinch during the week and need a little help (ie. had a doc appointment a couple weeks ago so he met me there and watched the baby for 2 hours while I was busy). MIL is now retired, so she will come up and help out during the week from time to time (works out to about every other week). Like I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, so she's coming up to watch the two little ones while I go to that and pick up my oldest. She also lives about 45 minutes away.

fancynewbeesly · March 2012

We live in the same town as my MIL and my parents--so my MIL watches her about 3-4 days a week. (My husband sometimes has a day off in the middle of the week) and my mom watches her one day a week. My parents do watch her more in the evening though.

I think next year she will go to an in home day care one day a week just to give my MIL a break.

stellasam · March 2012

I chose "I live near my family and they watch my kids in place of daycare" but my family members do not watch my son every day- he goes to preschool a few days a week and my mother watches him one day and my mother-in-law watches him one day. He is the only grandchild on both sides so they are both very happy to be able to watch him.

expectingnothing · March 2012

We live a mile from my parents. I work FT and the girls go to daycare. My mom will usually come on Saturday for 2-3 hours to play with them while I do housework. They also pick them up Mondays and take them to dance class and I meet them there after work. Maybe 2x a month they will also pick them up from school (like tonight) because they are the only other ones that can drive them anywhere. Tonight they are taking them out to eat and I have a babysitter coming after that so my parents can be 'relieved' of their duties... it's too much for them especially after 7-8pm. Every few months they will have one sleepover. I mostly pay sitters (college aged girls from the daycare) when I want to go out at night on a date or with friends. My parents are more for errands, during appointments, etc.

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