Unfortunately we don’t have any family near enough to babysit. My parents are in California and we are in Illinois. Prior to our move here, we lived in England where my husband’s parents lived relarively close, but they are quite a bit older than my own parents and I didn’t feel that they were fully able to babysit for anything more than a quick run to the grocery store (they don’t drive, are in their late 70s, and in poor health — they aren’t even able to lift our son should he need to be picked up). We are lucky to have some close friends here with children of a similar age and do the occasional babysitting swap, but we have never “hired” a babysitter. Date nights are a thing of the past, though it is a small sacrifice to make for the joy of parenting such a fantastic little guy.

My inlaws live on the same street as us and my own parents live a few miles away. My mom watches our son or picks him up from preschool 1-2 days a week and will take him to church for me every other Sunday when I am working and can’t go. My inlaws are good for date nights. I trust that he’s in good hands with them but try to keep it short because my mother-in-law smokes and even though I have her trained not to smoke around my son I still get nervous that she might do so anyway. Aside from preschool once a week, our son is only watched by family. I would like to find someone we can trust and pay to watch him though, sometimes family wants too much say in how we raise him.

My boys are very lucky (and therefore, so are my husband and I) because my parents (who live 3 hours away in Austin) make it a point to see my boys at least 1 time per 6 weeks. My husband has a mom and stepdad, and then also a stepmom (widowed when his dad died) and both households are within 1 1/2 hours of us, so we see them regularly too. Between the three grandmas and a doting aunt, we could have a babysitter whenever we wanted. We try to make it out once a month, sometimes twice, just to make sure that we’re on track, but we hate leaving the boys since we both work full-time. But we are very blessed to have some built-in babysitters!

I’m very blessed that my husband, my son and I all share the same house with my mom and two of my sisters. My other sister may be moving in with her fiance if they do not find a place they like. So we have a few babysitters to choose from. We love having our family all together like this and my mom gets to be with her grandson every day. He doesn’t go to bed without a kiss goodnight from his Grammie.

My inlaws live in the same town as us so they watch our 2 1/2 year old daughter sometimes for a few hours at night so we can go out. My parents live about 3 hours away so sometimes they come get her for the weekend. She loves spending the night with other people. She’s been doing it her whole life. My inlaws are now thinking about moving away so we’ll be stuck if they do. I don’t know anyone else close by that I can trust.

My daughter is named Maggie… I think the Gyllenhaals are the cutest!

I love,love your website,but you guys are are not particular about the babys ages. Maggie’s daughter was born on October 2nd which makes her three months not four.I guess I just like accuracy.

My mom and I babysit my nephew all the time. I don’t think she would ever use a sitter since my mom and I are always available…and FREE, so of course she chooses us. I always wish she would give me some cash or something, though, cuz my 3 year old nephew drives me crazy!!!!!!!

Friends and I switch off on babysitting each others kids. Though it tends to be that I watch her 4 (or a couple of them at least) more often than they watch my 1!

I couldn’t leave my child with someone I didn’t know and trust.

I was just watching SNL and Jake was hosting and when he was introducing the band for the second time he had a shirt that said Ramona on it, I though it was really cute!