Getting Babysitters

I don't know about everyone else but one of our great problems is babysitting! We really only have grandparents to mind the kids, and having to pay anyone to mind kids would be costly. Does anyone else have trouble finding someone who wants to mind their kids? We never really had trouble with 1 or 2 but once we had the 3rd and 4th it's a drama.

What ends up happening is I stay home and DH goes out, which is highly unsatisfactory. The other thing is not many of our friends have loads of kids and I feel bad taking this whole tribe somewhere to wreck someones house!

Cheers Michelle

Hey Michelle, I used to Nanny for 4 kids under 5 and had a ball. The more the merrier I say. The problem is, since having Ashlea I dont like to have to drag her out if people want me to babysit at their house (Goes back to a recent vent of mine) but I will happily have them at my house.
If they want the favour, then they can bring the kids to me.
Anyways, i know dragging kids out is a pain but i'd happily look after them for you if you ever needed it!

I haven't had this probelm, YET, I have my family ( mum, and sister) DP's family ( mainly aunt), and three very close GF's who always seem to be able to fill in when needed!!

Thanks for the offer Dee, that is lovely of you! I don't really mind taking my kids to someone but we are just so limited. When my tupid SIL was around Arron would ask her but I so don't think she si capable of looking after kids, she sort of plays with them but isn't very responsible. So we would only go just across the rd to the racecourse/taberat/bistro so we were 2 mins away if something went wrong.

Vanita- do you and Dh go out often?

Cheers Michelle

Well then Michelle, honestly, if you ever need someone let me know :D
I know I only have one child, but even the price of having to pay for a babysitter despite how many kids you have is enormous. You end up paying more for the babysitter than your night out!
Its times like this I get jealous of people with family close by!!

no not that often, but work takes up a lot of b'sitting hrs every week, sleepovers too!! probably have an event ( ie party, wedding, graduation etc) at least once a fortnight that we need babysitters for. Tend to socialise with the kids along most weekends

Oh yes! How we envy families who have relatives to help with some sitting! We've paid literally hundreds... once $150 for just our daughter so that we could attend a 12hour double wedding ceremony eeek! Since having our son my husband and I "take turns" going out but it's not much fun. We've joined a baby-sitting club but that's useless because most of the members have older children and are reluctant to mind a "baby". It's all just awful isn't it? My parents didn't know how lucky they were: back in the 70's they would leave my sister and I with both sets of grandparents, 2 sets of aunts and uncles, and at least half a dozen close family friends who lived within 5 mins drive. And that would happen at least 3 times a week while they would go off and sail or play golf! (they both live interstate now) People had better networks back then... *sigh*