When you can't get a sitter

by Jennifer Jordan (Subscribe to Jennifer Jordan's posts) Aug 12th 2008 5:01PM

Categories: Money & Work, Places To Go, Life & Style, Resources

Ever have one of those nights? You really need to get out of the house, perhaps spend some time with your spouse, significant other or just yourself, but you can't get a sitter. Or, maybe you had a sitter and he/she bailed on you at the last minute. What do you do?

Many parents these days enlist a whole cadre of people to take care of their children when they want to go out. Some use parents and in-laws to get out of the house. Others enlist friends and even colleagues. Still others have nannies or daycare providers who can work evenings to cover them. Some turn to services they source online or through the yellow pages.

And some parents take their kids with them. Depending on what it is you planned on doing, you might just be able to get away with taking your kids with you. Dinner may not be as romantic, but you can generally add a high chair to your two-top. Tickets to a concert or a Broadway show are another thing all together. You certainly cannot take your child to those kinds of events, and the tickets for those kinds of things are too expensive to give up. Werll, actually, you can give those things up. Chances are you've done it, or will--and just stayed home.

What do you do when you can't find a sitter? Have you tried any of the services? If so, were they any good, and would you recommend? Or do you count on your mom and dad to cover?

Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

CLM 8-12-2008 @ 5:49PM

If our childcare plans fall through at the last minute, we call Babysitters Guild. OMG, they are sooo expensive, but the sitters are awesome, and I would rather pay through the nose than give up tickets to a show. With twins, you HAVE to get out of the house to maintain sanity. I will pay a lot for sanity.

celeste 8-12-2008 @ 6:02PM

We rely a lot on my mother to babysit for our three kids 5 and under. I do not trust anyone else to babysit them for long periods of time. I do let my friends help out, other moms, when I need a sitter for a little while during the day. I have nor will I ever try a service. There is nothing that I have to do that is f greater importance to me than my children's safety. Usually we invite friends and their children over so the kids have there fun in their bedrooms while we stay out in the kitchen/family room and have ours. When my kids go to bed at 8:00, I set aside one of their rooms for the other kids to continue playing or watch a video so the adults can continue having our fun, whether it be playing games or just talking. It works out great for us because no one is in a rush to leave to get home for a sitter. If our friends come over without their children, I know at 8:00 our kids will be in bed and it is like we have the house to ourselves. As far as going out for the evening to a movie or dinner, who has the money for that any more. Stay home, save yourself some money and kick back on the sofa with your friends and have a blast!!!!!!!!!

We also bring dinner to each others house and that person grills it up for everyone. It works out great and we have so much fun!!!!!!!

Sabrina 8-12-2008 @ 7:15PM

We don't use a sitter more than once or twice a year. We would if we could find someone qualified, but my kids have medical problems so it's tough. Usually it's during vacation while we're at my mom's house and after the kids go to bed she watches them so we can go out for dessert or something. We're rarely gone more than 2 hours though since mom can't change diapers. (disability, not unwillingness)

I have considered using a service, but I guess I subconciously believe all the hype and horror stories about abusive or crazy sitters. Not that I wouldn't interview and background check the heck out of them, but I'm still not comfortable with the idea. I know we're going to eventually have to find a sitter out here in our new town. It sounds like a lot of work, so for now we just take the kids everywhere with us.

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