How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Just curious.

AJ is 20mo and I have a late night kid care center near us. I never even THINK of going there for a night out with the hubby. All of my coworkers have used them. One on a very regular basis.

Still... I'm paranoid I guess.

I think she needs to be able to tell me what happened before I'd enterain leaving her with a sitter I don't know.

She doesn't speak yet so that means no way Id hire a babysitter. I have an Aunt who will watch her thankfully and my daycare has a deal on the last Saturday of every month they take the kids in for 5hours. (5pm - 10pm) for "parent's night out" - which would cost us $20, bring her own snack, pjs and dinner.

Message edited 5/19/2010 5:23:48 PM.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Gosh, if everyone felt like that I would have never had sitting jobs when I was younger.

I used to watch infants a lot. But then again I grew up in a small town, so even if we weren't family or friends chances are they knew me through someone still.

For me, as long as I trust the person I would be comfortable at any age.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Posted by leighla

Gosh, if everyone felt like that I would have never had sitting jobs when I was younger.

I used to watch infants a lot. But then again I grew up in a small town, so even if we weren't family or friends chances are they knew me through someone still.

For me, as long as I trust the person I would be comfortable at any age.

Message edited 5/19/2010 5:29:12 PM.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Oh, how I miss TX's drop in daycare! My kids used to love it!

My youngest was about 17-18 months old the first time I left her there (their age requirement was 18 months and up).

As for when I'd be comfortable?

let me answer like this.

When I had DC1, I NEVER wanted to leave him ANYWHERE or with ANYONE. Even if my folks watched him, I rarely let him spend the night.

Now with 2 more DC, I'm happy when people offer! lol Take them! I need to time alone with DH! ;)

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Posted by Xelindrya

Posted by leighla

Gosh, if everyone felt like that I would have never had sitting jobs when I was younger.

I used to watch infants a lot. But then again I grew up in a small town, so even if we weren't family or friends chances are they knew me through someone still.

For me, as long as I trust the person I would be comfortable at any age.

yeah that's why i clarified non family or friend. I'm talking a professional unknown to you. Like a service or a vendor.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

We left DS with a sitter who was recommended to us at about 7 months. I would've left him sooner, but it wasn't until then that we could be pretty sure he wasn't going to wake up. He was asleep the whole time. I have said, though, that I felt more comfortable leaving him with a teenage girl than an adult, especially one that I didn't know.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

Ryan is 26 months and has only been babysat by grandparents, and once by my BFF and her husband. I am still not comfortable with it.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

i'd think the late night kid care center would be like daycare, so i'd think whatever age comfortable with daycare would apply......

at our daycare we have people who are in his room who have said they babysit nights if wanted....

leaving child with a babysitter that i dont know at my place is another story. that means i trust the person to be in my house and whos watching that person...i'd be waiting until child speaks, and possibly investing in the video cams

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

We went out with someone who was recommended, but we really did not know her, when DS was 8 months old. We checked her references carefully, and it helped that she was a camp counselor in a well-regarded camp in our town. Still, I was very nervous leaving DS with her.

But family is not an option for us in terms of babysitting, and we wanted to get out on our own after 8 months of never leaving the house together alone.

Yes it's a risk, but I think you need to do what's best for you and your family, in this case, it was good for our sanity and thus, good for us as parents. Some will disagree with this, and my mother was very vocal about this being a bad idea. But she lives too far away, and sorry, she had her family nearby to watch us, so I felt she didn't really understand.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

I really only trust my family (parents, inlaws, sister, BILs)w/ DS. I'm crazy like that! Maybe once he can tell me everything I can do it, but that's not anytime soon since he is 20 months.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

We just left our DD for the first time Monday to go out for our Anniversary (she's almost 8 months). We put DD to bed and our neighbor came over and sat in our apt. to watch her. I felt 100% comfortable b/c I've known her for 4 years (we live on the same floor in our condo bldg) and she works in a daycare watching infants It was nice to get out with DH alone, but we did miss DD

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

DD is almost 4. Ive never left her with anyone but family or friend. No particular reason, just paranoid maybe

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

DD is 15 months and I have an occassional babysitter (not family or friend) that comes to my home when DH and I want a night out.

The first time was in January of this year. But if I had found someone sooner, I would have felt comfortable leaving DD with her for a night out as early as 6 months old.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

DD just turned 2 and I have only recently CONSIDERED this. Mostly because we are fortunate enough to have a lot of family near us who can usually watch DD. But I'm thinking this summer of once in a while trying a co workers daughter who is home from college for the summer

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

DD (10months old) has been watched by a babysitter, a friend of the family until last week (babysitter went back to school)

This week we had to start with a new babysitter (a student we hired from a local college--we interviewed 4 students, checked references etc)...

While I'm not thrilled I don't really have much choice...DD is on a waitlist for a day care for this fall...I have some family here but everybody works

I hate leaving her with a hired babysitter, but I guess its the best we can do right now

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

~14m DS has only been with a non-family babysitter once and that was a our next door neighbor who was a nurse. It was when DS was about 3m old and she was waaaay better with him than I was at the time.

I probably wouldn't want to hire a babysitter for him until he was about 5yo.

Re: How old is old enough to be left with a hired babysitter (non family or friend)

IMHO there is no set age - it depends on when the parents are comfortable leaving their DC with a hired sitter.