What would you do? babysitter related

I work from home and have a one year old who is VERY attached to me and is getting more and more attached each day. I have been a SAHM and a WAHM since she was born.

I have a babysitter who comes for 2 hours in the afternoon to take care of her so I can get some work done. She just started a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that DD is okay for the first 30 mins but after that she comes waddling down the hallway looking for me. At first I did come out and went back up to the LR with her as she wasnt used to the sitter but now that a few weeks have passed I figure she knows her more and I have tried to stay in my room working even when DD is crying outside the door.

I have to be honest I dont let her cry for too long but I dont run out the minute she starts cyring either.

So here is my dilemma..
a) Do I continue to hire the sitter and effectively pay her while I am running up and down the hallway reassuring my DD that I am still there and its okay...therefore not really getting a pile of work done

b) Do I go back to what I was doing before which was to work until nearly midnight after my DD was sleeping

c) Try to find a diffrent sitter....this girl is sweet but she isnt very inventive when it comes to distracting my DD...I show her things to do with her but she cannot come up with ideas by herself and just says " why are your crying"....this sitter doesnt have a huge amount of babysitting experience...I figured it wasnt that important seen as I was going to be always in the house.

d) Let DD tough it out and just get used to the fact that mom is not going to come and rescue her - I dont really like this option considering they say 12-18mths is the worst time for separation anxiety....

Any advice ....anyone else work from home and have a sitter come to the house?

Sorry so long...

TIA

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Bundle her up in lots of layers and send them out in the stroller, or send the babysitter off to the library/other child friendly destination. Either that or you should find someplace else to do your work. The babysitter really has no chance with you in the house.

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

First of all my DD wont sit in a stroller for anyone...me included so that is not an option.
Secondly I dont trust our sitter. Last week I found the top of a water bottle in her mouth that the sitter gave her to play with...today I came out and my DD was sitting on the floor drinking out of a glass!! hitting her two bottom teeth against the glass and the sitter said " she likes banging her teeth on the glass"

So there is no way in hell she is leaving the house with my one year old..

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Posted by beachgirl

First of all my DD wont sit in a stroller for anyone...me included so that is not an option.
Secondly I dont trust our sitter. Last week I found the top of a water bottle in her mouth that the sitter gave her to play with...today I came out and my DD was sitting on the floor drinking out of a glass!! hitting her two bottom teeth against the glass and the sitter said " she likes banging her teeth on the glass"

So there is no way in hell she is leaving the house with my one year old..

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Posted by beachgirl

First of all my DD wont sit in a stroller for anyone...me included so that is not an option.
Secondly I dont trust our sitter. Last week I found the top of a water bottle in her mouth that the sitter gave her to play with...today I came out and my DD was sitting on the floor drinking out of a glass!! hitting her two bottom teeth against the glass and the sitter said " she likes banging her teeth on the glass"

So there is no way in hell she is leaving the house with my one year old..

Message edited 2/8/2007 8:10:43 PM.

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Message edited 2/8/2007 8:41:54 PM.

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Im sorry, but, your sitter needs to go.
A good sitter would try her best to try and distract your DD with books, games, play out in the yard, maybe even put a video on....something.
You need to find someone with experience whether you are in the home or not.

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Thanks ladies for your honest replies sometimes you have to write things down, read it and then its clearer.

Reading my own post if someone else had written it I would be saying get rid of the sitter too....

I know its hard on the sitter when I am in the house too but when I interviewed her I told her the situation. I know my DD is a mommys girl but she isnt like this when my family members are here. She is more than happy to go and play with them and is not a clingy baby at all. She interacts with people no matter where we go. The diffrence is that my sisters will play with her, jump around, dance..whatever it takes to keep her amused...same stuff I do. I think my babysitter is just too cool to do stuff like that!

Believe me if I had someone I could trust in the house I could easily tune out and get my work done..I can do that when my DH is home.

Problem is I received about 20 calls for my last ad in the paper and she was the only one who spoke english!!! so the babysitter pool for a couple of hours a day is not that large.....

Oh to win the lotto and not have to work...

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

Posted by beachgirl

Thanks ladies for your honest replies sometimes you have to write things down, read it and then its clearer.

Reading my own post if someone else had written it I would be saying get rid of the sitter too....

I know its hard on the sitter when I am in the house too but when I interviewed her I told her the situation. I know my DD is a mommys girl but she isnt like this when my family members are here. She is more than happy to go and play with them and is not a clingy baby at all. She interacts with people no matter where we go. The diffrence is that my sisters will play with her, jump around, dance..whatever it takes to keep her amused...same stuff I do. I think my babysitter is just too cool to do stuff like that!

Believe me if I had someone I could trust in the house I could easily tune out and get my work done..I can do that when my DH is home.

Problem is I received about 20 calls for my last ad in the paper and she was the only one who spoke english!!! so the babysitter pool for a couple of hours a day is not that large.....

Oh to win the lotto and not have to work...

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

honestly...you have 2 problems.
#1 it doesnt matter who watches your daughter, with you in the next room...there is always going to be a problem. IMO...thats not the sitters fault...its your daughters attachment and her always knowing your right there. can you leave the house and somehow sneak back into your office? If you do find someone else let them take her out for walks or out somehwere.
#2 if you dont trust her...you really need to get rid of her. Why lead the whole situation on...get rid of her and find someone you trust.

Re: What would you do? babysitter related

I agree to definitely get a new sitter.

As for the work situation when you do get a new sitter, you need to feel comfortable leaving dd with the babysitter otherwise what's the point. I would consider pretending to leave & then sneak back into the office so she isn't aware that you're there. (If that's possible)