Baby Sitters

Hi LL,

I know your family enjoys cosleeping, but when I babysat or nannied, I preferred the children to fall asleep where they were meant to sleep. I might have been next to them, reading a book, but I didn't like transferring kids from one place to the next. Your request isn't usual, but not 'weird' weird.

If your children cannot sleep without a human body present, this is a good time to get that started. (Said from a mom who did the 'can't sleep without you' dance with her son until he was about 4. And he did fine. Not getting on your case, but it is time--your social life with your husband depends on it.

We pay our sitters $10 an hour as an average where we live. What others in your area pay will depend on cost-of-living, etc. I found that the care we get for the less expensive babysitters in our area was a bit lacking. A good sitter might charge more, but they're worth it.

Will your girls not go to sleep in your bed without you? I mean, they have each other so it's not like they would be alone.
I would start putting them to bed BEFORE you and your husband go to bed. That way they can get used to it before they get a sitter. That makes the most sense to me.
And sitter rates vary depending where you live of course, but around here $10 an hour is average.

Do you have a TV in your room. If so, could you have the babysitter put them in your bed and have them watch a movie? Perhaps that would work and they would fall asleep.

most of the time its not just wanting a person there to fall asleep with but the love of there parents to relax with. i am betting your youngsters are like minded as mine and will do more and be on better behavior with a nonfamily member. my kids are much better for school teachers than me. they save the thrown on the floor tantrums and worst behavior for there parents. i was hired to pick up children from school and the mother asked if they bicker and fight in my car like they do in hers. this is the second year and i have yet (thank God) to see sister bad behavior. i bet they would lay down directly in there own bed or cuddle up together and might not want a family friend or babysitter to cuddle with them. we usually end up paying about 50 dollars for 6 hrs or so evening out.

Our toddler sleeps on his "Nana" when he really wants that, but she also will put him down, and he does fine. She's very good at that kind of training, but she's also attentive enough to know when he just needs to be close.

She comes to our house Monday through Friday, and she is available to babysit when we need her. We have also taken him to her house when necessary.

How often do you need somebody? We live in the same area as you.

ETA: It just occurred to me that you might want to go ahead and register with an agency. Our nanny works through an agency, even for her sitting jobs.