Saturday, March 15, 2008

Another Parental Right of Passage: Paying a Babysitter

Friday night I did something I've never, in 10 years of being a mom, done before. I paid someone to watch my kids. I've had babysitters before, like friends and family, but I have never actually paid someone money to babysit the kids.
Once a month my spouses group (FRG) goes out to eat just to hang out and relax. We can bring kids or get a sitter, doesn't matter. Well, one of the ladies insisted that I bring my kids to her house and have her son watch them so I could get out on my own. Louisa had a sleepover at a friend's house, so it was just Drew and Hunter.
When we got there, and I saw the kids who was going to babysit them, I wanted to say no thanks and hop back in the truck. He looked no older than Louisa! No way was some 10 or 11 year old going to watch my boys!
Right away he started playing with them, getting them settled. He seemed to know what he was doing. He wasn't shy around them, like I usually was when I went on a first time babysitting job. He just made sure that they felt at home.
Okay.... hesitantly I headed for the door with my friend so we could go to the restaurant. She was confident in her son's abilities.
An hour and a half later we get back to her house and the boys are having the best time. They are running all over the yard, playing with their babysitter and the neighborhood kids. The babysitter had fed them hot dogs and applesauce, and he told me what they'd been doing. It took me a long time to get the boys in the truck and get out of there. I had to tell them we were going to Dairy Queen to get them to leave!
So I paid the boy and he said he hopes he can watch them again someday. I don't know why, but I'm always so surprised when I meet a genuinely nice, respectful teenager. Is that bad?
Anyway, I gained two things... a future (cheap) babysitter, and a little bit of time to myself. Although, I played with another friend's baby the entire time we were at the restaurant!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you!! It's so hard to find good sitters, so keep him around:) And who knows, maybe it's as good for the kids to get a break as it is for you~ I know mine feel that way!!!

snowflake said...

So glad you found a sitter that you like! It sounds like the boys had a great time, and it is just so important to get a little time to yourself!

Sandy said...

I want to borrow your babysitter! Glad you found him. I hope he *can* get a chance to watch the boys again. It's a good thing for you!

Anonymous said...

That's awesome Peggie. I'm so glad you got some alone time with the friends.

Anonymous said...

Peggie that's wonderful! I know how you feel though. The first time I paid someone to watch Bug, it was just weird but to this day, no sitter will ever measure up to her... (she is grown now with children of her own!)

It's a great thing to be able to get out on your own.