Will was born April 8th of 2010.
I have had my mom babysit him on October 6th (our anniversary) for 2 hours. I also had mom watch Will during two photoshoots and during a friend’s surprise birthday party. But beyond that, Will is with Jeremy or I ALL THE TIME. That’s four times in 15 months. I think that means it was high-flippin-time for a date night.
Of course, because I am one of those paranoid new moms, I didn’t hire a babysitter (what’s the going rate anyway? do kids know CPR? What if the baby has a dirty diaper – does the babysitter change them? I have no idea!)….I asked dear old Little Debbie. Thanks mom by the way. I forget to say that when I come home and you freak me out with your little “WHERE’s THE PACI?” act. So not funny.
We decided to go to Kampai for sushi and hibachi….and it wasn’t exactly what you would call busy.
Let’s just put it out there…that’s a pretty scary scene.
but neither of us disliked the food or got sick…so we just chocked it up to southerners not wanting raw fish. They will eat fried pig skins…and frog legs…that were cooked on an old oil barrel that has been outside collecting mosquito eggs….but sushi they pass.
Either way, we had fun. It was nice to just be away without dealing with picking food out of a strangers hair. Which has happened more than once by the way.
And of course, hibachi comes with it’s own show. Jackie Chan (that’s what I thought he said the first time) here was amazing. He was like a master of fried rice.
And I love it when they catch things on fire and make tiny volcanos. Basically I am a 12 year old boy.
And it was delish. both the food and the time away from unhousebroken toddler.
After dinner we had no idea what to do…so we went shopping for Will. of course. that’s what you do when you are away from them, right? you do things for them anyway.
And it just so happened that that evening the sky decided to give us a show.
I coerced Jeremy into pulling the car over just so that we could snap a picture. Yes, we were on the side of the road. Nothing says romance like power lines and semi trucks.
Side note on this random post – who else sees a weirdo inbreed cousin of Mickey Mouse in that cloud?
TOTALLY CHANGE OF SUBJECT – BE WARNED.
I also wanted you to know that I have been trying to continue my organization efforts here. Which means that I streamlined the sidebar buttons a little bit…while adding our Contact Info-or-ma-shun. Plus the photo of Will cracks me up…I can basically hear him laughing.
I would also like to welcome a new sponsor – Coco & Ella Designs. They have fantastic designs for everything from home decor to baby announcements…which you can print to your little hearts desire….for SUPER LOW COST. Two thumbs up…if I had more thumbs, they would get those up too.
Oh and because I know this will tickle your fancybone, we (as in me and my little helpers) have been up to projects….painting projects, building projects (all I gotta say is Ana White is like the Michael Jordan of Planet Awesome), and some general projectyness….on the cheap of course.
So that is what we’ve been up to. What are you guys up to? Anyone been on a date night lately? Or had a romantic roadside rondevous? Or perhaps you know how much to pay babysitters? Or maybe you are like us and don’t get out of the house enough to justify a swipe of deodorant much less a babysitter?
My daughter turned in 2 in May. We haven’t had many away moments either, but we are leaving her with my parents for a night in a bigger town, two hours away. That’s the FARTHEST I’ve been away from her. I’m excited and nervous, but my mom used to be a Peds Nurse. And she loves their place – fresh blueberries off the bush, a garden full of veggies, a swing, frog ponds, two dogs, a cat, and the never ending attention from two loving grandparents. They might enjoy it more than her! Hubs and I are going on a mini vaca.. to Six Flags! 🙂 We’re excited to have some fun and get out of town for a night.
P.S. I LOVE when they set the volcano on fire. I’ll be a 12 year old boy right there with ya!
Those sky photos are beautiful!! Yay for date night!
The last date my husband and I had (besides church functions) was nearly a year ago on our anniversary. We left our 3 and 2 year old with close friends and went to a Mexican restaurant, not thinking Mexican = kid friendly. We spent the whole dinner listening to screaming kids who weren’t our own, and parents who were unable to control their children. I think we have been scared to go out since. We stick to movies on the couch after the kids are in bed and call that a date!
Love the date night and the sky pictures 🙂 I have been following you for awhile but read and then forget to post any comments….BUT….you had something about Ana White in this post, so I had to comment. I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve in terms of her DIY furniture building plans. I have become completely obsessed with her and am working on an outdoor sectional right now – only about 1/12 of the way done, but as you know…these things take time!! I don’t even have kids and am dreaming up what kind of beds and toys I’m going to build them from her plans. Amazing! Looking forward to seeing more on that!!!!
PS Thanks for all your great posts – they are funny with your random comments! And Will is super cute 🙂
yay for date nights! we always try to sneak away on a date night whenever our parents are in town! I actually own a nanny agency, yet still have never once paid for a sitter or a nanny, but try so hard to keep this from my families who use my agency to find a nanny! I totally trust the nannies, but they’re expensive!! I don’t want to pay a nanny $15/hour to watch my son!!
The most exciting thing….I got to see the lil bun in the oven for the 1st time today!!! And apparently I’m 13 weeks and not 7 like I thought! Yowzah.
Sending fertile throughts your way!
Our oldest just turned seven and we have two other daughters. We’ve gone out of (gasp) six dates. Six. It makes me sad. We don’t live near anyone whom we’d trust to watch our kids on a regular basis. The funny thing is that we have to put a time limit on how long we can discuss the kids so we can talk about other stuff. 🙂 We do the same thing as the other commenter or watching a movie when the kids are in bed and calling it good. Dates are super fun, though. Cool you guys got to reconnect.
I’ve been babysitting/nannying since I was 12. I am now 20…yes I know, I probably should look into a real job( I keep telling myself that once I graduate college, the babysitting gigs need to stop). Haha… I would hire someone that has been around Will in a different situation. Church? Neighbors? That’s how I got a lot of my jobs and you see the sitter in a setting that is more comfortable to them and know how they really are. I usually ask for 8-12 dollars an hour depending on the number of children, how far I have to drive and how many hours they are asking me to do. The whole CPR thing is really up to you and what you are comfortable with. I also think trusting your babysitter takes time, so don’t be afraid to call a few times while you are out. And yes, please for the love of everything, hire someone that knows how to change a diaper. I’m glad you guys enjoyed your date night though! And maybe more will happen in the future =)
We were in labor having baby boys the same day:) My husband and I still have not let anyone watch Stellan overnight but next month that will change. We are getting away for the weekend. I know its important but its hard to leave the little turkeys! Glad you two had fun!!!
You have to go for dates more often!!!! Especially since you have your mom to help. I think it is really important for us to miss them and for them to miss us. It is really super hard to leave, but you must!!! Do it for your sanity!! 🙂
We have grandparents right across the street so we have date night pretty frequently 🙂 even when we don’t go out we try to have an at-home-date at least once a week where we cook (or order in) a special dinner after the kids go to bed. My kids always ask us to go on a date so they can be spoiled by grandma. We are happy to set that example for them. Kids need to see a healthy marriage 🙂
Hi! Just want to say I love reading your blog (and YHL). Will is adorable 🙂
I’m the mom of a 6 month old boy that is also an Auburnite 🙂
My husband and I went on a date night before I went back to work, around week 8, my parents and sister were the lucky sitters. Our date consisted of dirty diaper talk, texting at least twice to check on him and shopping for him. We were gone maybe 2 hours! Nothing much has changed 6 months later on the rare occasion that we get out! Well, I don’t check in as much at least…
“Weirdo inbreed cousin of Mickey Mouse” = best post tidbit ever!
I’m also a new reader and know you love comments – so hello! My husband and actually live abroad as volunteers, meaning our “date nights” are few and far between. We’re lucky if we shower more than twice a week! (Not our choice – our water is heated by wood, and wood is expensive, so…) Last night was such a night and, well, we were quite happy to both be clean at the same time. 🙂
Just wanted to let you know I enjoy your blog and your family’s adventures! We have a 9mo and just did our first overnight away for our anniversary. My parents watched him and I’m proud of myself for not being as nervous of a wreck as I thought I’d be 🙂
For the babysitter, in our area (Upstate NY) we’ve done $10/hr for friends our age who watch him. And then I think we’d do $7 or $8/hr for teenagers (although we haven’t done this yet). We know some teens through our church, but don’t really *know* them if you get my drift. Minimum wage is $8 here in NY so it seemed about right I guess. For friends of ours that have kiddos, we’ve just done a “we’ll watch your kid if you watch ours sometime” kind of thing. Works out pretty well, if you don’t mind owing people a favor.
And thanks for blogging, always enjoy pulling up your site and getting a smile 🙂
I agree with you about leaving my son with a babysitter, but I have now done it two times in the last two weeks. I am a stay at home mom too, but got a quick summer school position and my husband had to work three of the days that I would also be working. I wish my mom lived closer, but she does not, so I had to call in a babysitter. Yesterday was the first time I had a teenager do it and I was so nervous, but I kept thinking, she would call if anything was wrong. It was only for three and a half hours so fortunately it all turned out well! I think my husband and I need a date night too…and it would be so nice to have one over night just to get a full night’s rest, but who am I kidding, I’m preggers for the second time and I pee about five times at night anyways!
We are the exact same way with our little man. I think I’ve been apart from him all of 5 times in the past two years….
So glad you were able to get out for a date night. I know how badly you guys probably needed it. We sure do!! = )
(And yeah…nothing freaks me out more than a deserted sushi restaurant. What the heck?)
We started instituting dates night two months ago because my daughter stopped being good in restaurants. I usually just get a highschooler down the street but here is the trick. Remie goes down for bed at 7:30 and we go out at 8. Then I don’t have worry about anything, she would just be sleeping the whole time anyway. It helps that we only live a mile to pretty much any restaurant we would want to go to so we can be back home really fast.
But it is pricy, I think we still pay $8 an hour for her to watch a sleeping baby. But it’s worth it to catch up with the hubs.
P.S.
OH, an geez. We are looking into babysitters (I figure they ARE cheaper than divorce lawyers, but only slightly). $12 an hour for ours…but we do have two little ones.
I’ve got a bun in the oven but I already have baby sitting completely worked out. It was actually the reason why we decided soon would be a good time to start a family. My parents just retired and moved down here last summer so now both sets of grand parents will be within a five minute drive. My mom said she’ll watch the little one while I work part-time and finish up grad school and we’re going to ask my in-laws to watch he/she once a month so we can go on dates! I remember growing up my parents went on dates pretty frequently and I loved having a baby sitter! I’m thinking when the baby gets a bit older we’ll probably try out a high-school kid just to give the grandparents a break 😉
I’m glad y’all were able to go out on a date!! We are planning on leaving our kiddos for our upcoming anniversary. We’ve only left our 2 year old 4 times and our 6 month old has never been left. His world basically revolves around me so I’m not sure how it’s going to go for him. LOL. Speaking of the paci, are y’all going to take it away soon? I only ask because I worry about Will’s teeth and ears. It’s easier to take it away now then when they are older with all the new changes that come with being a toddler. Potty training, new siblings (Congrats by the way! Hopefully soon!) etc. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Just voicing my concern. 🙂
As the mom of now-grown (well, almost, they’re both living with us again!) kids, sitters are not a big issue for me these days. BUT, my daughter sits/nannies a lot, even at 24. She started when she was in 6th grade and took a PTA-sponsored sitter certification course and has never stopped. She is usually paid about $10/hour (though if there are more kids, she’s usually paid more but not because she asks). I liked Ashley’s suggestion of using someone you’re at least familiar with – church, etc. – but barring that possibility, don’t hesitate to have a prospective sitter come spend time with Will while you and Jeremy are there. It won’t be completely the same but will at least hasten the comfort factor that you’re not having a complete stranger in charge of your child and home and should also help with Will’s comfort level too. And ditto Ashley again: For goodness’ sake, make sure they can change a diaper!
Looks like you had fun! I love those night sky pictures!
We don’t have kids yet and we still haven’t been on many dates recently. Stupid paycuts at work. Our “date nights” generally consist of watching tv shows from iTunes and eating potato chips. We did go to 5 Guys with some friends recently, and last night we got cheap Mexican food take out.
PS- When my sister and I were little my parents hired a girl from the neighborhood who they were familiar with to babysit us. When we were older, my sister started babysitting for kids in the area, and after she could drive she started sitting for kids a bit further away. I think she usually got about $8-10/hr, but I might be wrong about that. She did know CPR, how to change a diaper, etc.
Oh my gosh, we are just like you! The last time my husband and I road alone in a car together was when we were driving to the hospital when I was in labor. So, basically, it has been a YEAR! We rarely do things without Kate. I loosened up when she turned a year, and since I am lucky enough to have both my parents and my inlaws 15 minutes away, I can leave Kate in their capable hands. But even still, we hardly ever go anywhere without her.
My girl will be 4 in December and has still only been left with our parents. I was thinking it was high time to try out a babysittter, but now along comes baby so that will definitely set us back a while. We tried to go out to dinner for our anniversary and the little one wouldn’t take a bottle. This bottle training is killing us!
Ana White ROCKS!
Also… does anyone else remember having babysitters? I LOVED them! I thought they were so fun and “cool”. That’s definitely motivation to try it out1
I agree – you could work on some projects in peace while letting Will and the babysitter get to know each other.
This southerner LOVES sushi. However, growing up at the beach and never eating a can of tuna until college (I was craving tuna and I thought it would do. It didn’t) but I have one rule when it comes to seafood: If you can’t see the ocean you don’t eat the seafood. It’s just a personal thing. Glad you guys had fun!!
Date nights are a must but I agree with you — unless my parents or my brother can watch our little one, we’re staying home. I’m still kind of iffy about leaving her with someone else! Glad you both were able to have some time together.
Also, just jumped over to your actual site from my reader feed and love the new look/layout! I need to click over more often. There’s just something about looking at someone’s actual blog. It is a work of art. 🙂
I feel your pain on the baby-sitter front! Even with my son in daycare, or maybe because of him being there and me away, we didn’t have any nights away during his first year. But since then we make an effort to get away at least every other month. A good friend and her 10 yr old daughter, the high school girls who live directly next to us (so their parents are close) and occasionally our preschool teacher (who is my favorite since this is her profession!). We pay $10/hr, which is a lot more than I made when I was babysitting, but is worth it for time away and piece of mind. And next weekend the hubs and I are going away for a whole 24 hrs! My parents are coming to town and will watch lil G while we escape to the mountains. So excited!
I thought I would pop in with some baby sitter advice. I am 23, and started babysitting at 10…so I have 13 years experience…now that being said, please don’t hire a 10 year old. I was super responsible, but I honestly don’t know what those people were thinking leaving me alone with their…wait for it…9month old. Madness. Anyhow…the going rate for babysitters is $10-$12 a hour..if they are a teenager, go with $10…that should be fine…I honestly wouldn’t pay less than $10, they are taking care of your child.
Babysitters definitely know how to change a diaper. Some know CPR, but I wouldn’t stress over that, unless you really want someone who knows.
And you go to church…thats a great place to find a baby sitter. If you are nervous, find a college student instead of high school. But don’t be afraid, just ask around (you can also ask them for references) and maybe you will find someone like me, with 13 years of experience.
Baby sitters are great, and most of them do it because they actually enjoy it. I love baby sitting for my regular families.
I love love love, to read ur blog, and im a huge fan of your photography! You have got to give me the downlow on how you took that amazing pic. Do u keep your tripod on handy all the time?
So glad you two got a date night! My fiance and I try to go out for sushi every Friday night for a date night (my dad makes fun of me because he doesn’t understand what’s the difference between a “date night” and just going out with someone who you’re dating).
Also, SUPER EXCITED to see that red being covered up. Can’t wait to see how the room looks when you’re done!!
I totally clap and cheer for hibachi chefs. I love the show and I’m easily amused:)
Grandparents are GREAT babysitters. I swear my daughter’s grandparents – both sets – enjoy the time much more than she does.
Katie, I’m so glad you guys got a night out together! I’m no expert on sushi, but out of the few varieties I have had, I really like it. You looked so pretty and I see that Jeremy shaved! Haha Does he have a tattoo on his finger? What is that I see?
My hubs and I made a HUGE Ana White project for our son’s room (the cubby media wall) and he built one of her garden boxes. I’m on her website under Daisies and Crazies. 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you’re building!
I’m a 12 year old boy too. Farts make me laugh. xo
That looks like a great date night! It’s important to get out every once in a while! 🙂 I can’t wait to see the projects you’re up to – I like the paint color I’m seeing on that wall!!
I still can’t believe I was 12 when I babysat for a family of three kids–ages 7, 4, and 6 months. I don’t know that I could handle that now at age 26! Then there were the folks who had five kids and would pay $1 per hour per kid. Wowsa. And they were so naughty too! I only did that twice before my 14-year-old self decided it wasn’t worth it.
Yay for date night! Good baby making thoughts going your way :0)
Can’t wait to read about your projectyness! An my hubby and I are about to embark on a little getaway for his b-day. It’s a surprise! Can. not. wait.
When did people stop using babysitters?! It makes me so sad. That’s literally how I supported myself off and on from age 13 til 24. From supporting my sour canday habit to paying rent, I seriously don’t know what I would have done without it. Are people just more paranoid these days?
I’m sure I’ll have a hard time with it when my fiance and I have kids (please Lord, give us a good 4 years without them!). I just think it’s interesting that so many people seem to have issues with it now.
We did the same thing with our little munchkin. I kept telling people, it’s not that we can’t get away, it’s just that we don’t want to… yet. Once you’re ready to leave, you make the time.
I just spent the weekend on a Ana White original myself- her outdoor sectional. I can’t wait to see what you guys made!
Psh – no shame in loving the onion volcano! Did the push it along the cooktop making “choo choo” noises like it was a train? That’s my favorite part! Oh the simple things. 🙂
When I started babysitting, I got paid $5 an hour to watch 3 little boys. By college that had almost tripled to $12/hour for 3 little boys (though not the same ones).
Anyway, when I started, I took a baby sitter class from the American Red Cross. They taught us CPR, what to do if the child was choking, general first aid, but also things like how to change a diaper and gave us ideas for activities.
Try getting to know the pre-teens/teens and their parents in your neighborhood now, so that when you are ready/absolutely have to have someone else watch Will, not only will you be comfortable with them, but he’ll know who they are too and not freak out quite so bad (if at all).
Those are my two cents…
Also, can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to. I love your style!
Do I still pay the babysitter during the get-to-know you time? I have no idea about these kind of things…
I am from South Africa and babysat in Aspen Colorado about 4 years ago for an awesome baby girl. I spend loads of time with her and even decided to rather look after her on New Years (Please note I was 21 and a total nerd) that year than to spend with all my new American friends. It was never about the money, but about the girl. So I hope you get someone, like me 🙂 that sees Will as more than just a money making tool 🙂
We typically get take out and once our little tinkler (age 1) is down for bed about 7:30 we break out the take-out (usually sushi or chinese) and eat like adults and then watch a movie together. We try and do this about every two weeks or so. It’s really helped us stay connected in our crazy lives.
We ARE leaving him with my parents on Saturday so that we can go see the new Harry Potter movie. Tickets are already bought and everything. 🙂
Katie – don’t feel bad… my son will be 4 in September, and my husband and I have never left him with a babysitter. I am embarrassed whenever I have to admit this to anyone! My husband and I both agree that it’s high time for us to have a date… but we both know we’ll spend the whole time missing our Boy! 🙂
If you check out sittercity.com and or care.com you guys can screen potential babysitters, do background checks and or see what they charge. I looked at both sites and even signed up but I felt too weird about having a complete stranger in my house. I’ve had other friends that have found sitters that way though. Mary is 4 and I’ve only hired a babysitter twice… One was my niece and the other was the teenage daughter of a friend. I just finished up a big Ana project. I made the play kitchen and I’m currently working on a couple benches for a friend. I <3 Ana!! I found your site through hers actually. Can’t wait to see what you guys made! I love your AW bed! xoxo Steph
I think many of us are in the same boat. Our daughter is 2 and we have been out on maybe five dates, without her. We have a babysitter that we absolutely adore and who our daughter loves as much as us, but at $15 an hour, a date night suddenly becomes very expensive. We don’t have family near us, so the free option is limited too. We have realized though, that the investment in ourselves and our marriage is worth every penny of a babysitter. Our next goal is to have a date night at least once a month and spend it focused on us and not our daughter (including shopping for her, we are guilty of that too!).
My daughter is about to turn 16 in two weeks. She does some babysititng. But before I’d let my daughter babysit, I enrolled her into a babysitting course that was offered at several of our local (Richmond, VA.) hospitals. They taught her the ins & outs of babysitting, how much to charge, what info was necessary to have on hand & most importantly… CPR!!! I didn’t want my daughter to be in a situtation that she wasn’t prepared for. Let me add that it’s not a bad idea to give the sitter a trial run if you can afford it. Have them watch Will while you guys are around but busy doing something. (ie – a diy project.) That way you will get to know the sitter & how she interacts with Will. Hopefully this has helped. Good luck with many more dates with your boyfriend. 🙂
Looks like a great date night. I have only been to a hibatchi once, but LOVED it!! I love that you pulled over for a photo…and i totally see the inbread mickey up there!!!
You should give them something for the get to know you time, but probably not as much as a regular babysitting job. They did take the time to come over and spend time with Will.
I totally second @Ashley Acken! As another former babysitter/nanny (I did stop after college, because I moved to a place where I didn’t know anybody, and I have a different job), 8-12 sounds reasonable. However, I’ve noticed that people different parts of the ‘states may have different rates. (For instance, where I grew up in SD, my gigs were less than when I was in college in MO. I think this may have had a little bit to do with my age–college kids should be paid more than 13 year olds–but also with location (when I came back to SD in the summers throughout college, it was still less than MO).
Most of my gigs I found through people I knew (or people who knew people). My parents were teachers, so I mostly babysat for other teachers or for people at church (in college I learned to network a bit more). From the babysitter point of view, it is a really great job–besides working with kids, I learned a lot–even just learning to talk with adults and parents proved to be a helpful skill. Like Ashley also said, CPR is up to you, and diapers are a MUST. You can definitely call while you are out–I think eventually, once you grow comfortable with your sitter, you will probably find that you are calling less, and staying out slightly later (although you should always call if you are later than expected! 😉 Your date night sounds like it was a lot of fun!
Oh my goodness how have you survived this long with so few evenings away from Will?! We have an 8-month-old and we are completely obsessed with him. My in-laws are 5 mins away and they LOVE to watch him. In fact, my husband’s cousins and aunts are all the same – when we pick our little one up, they thank US for letting them spend time with him – crazy, huh? So we have dinner out all the time. I really don’t like the city where we live right now, but if we move, we won’t have all these free babysitters. Tough decision.
We also occasionally switch off with other couples with babies the same age. It works out well since it’s really not that much work to have an extra baby, and then you get free babysitting! Totally worth it!
Looks like you guys had a great date night. We have a hibachi place in our neighborhood and I love it! It’s like dinner and show for one price 🙂
We are very fortunate to have a grandma less than an hour away so we use her a lot for babysitting. However, there has been a few times we’ve actually had to (gasp!) pay someone to watch the kiddos. I haven’t done it since #2 was born because he was so young but our first paid babysitter for both kids is coming up on Saturday!
This is going to turn into a mini-novel but here’s my babysitting 411: Our area runs $8-12 per hour…obviously higher with more than 1 kid. When my kids are young (under 2), I try to get the older kids/women (teachers or daycare workers are a great resource!) because they have more experience/training. Yes, they change the dipes but some are funny about meals. Negotiate a lower per hour rate for when the kiddo is asleep. We do $10/hour for awake time and $8/hour for sleep.
I think it depends on how you spend the get-to-know-you time. If it’s a brief visit (like 15-20 minutes) and you and Jeremy and Will are meeting the sitter, asking questions, I don’t think that warrants any payment. (At least not where I am from!) This is more like a consulation or job interview–meeting, getting questions answered, making sure it is a good fit. If you think it will work out, then you can call them back and set a later date/time for them to babysit. However if you want a sort of ‘trial’, and you meet with them for a longer amount of time, and leave the babysitter alone with Will and work on other projects, that does qualify as babysitting, and the sitter should be paid. I would just be upfront with the prospective sitter about your expectations for the meeting or trial period!
I’m in a similar boat… daughter born in May 2010, and we’ve been out once or twice since then. I hate leaving her! As to the getting-to-know you time, I would pay the sitter, but a reduced rate since you are still at home. Another idea that I am planning to use as I start picking up freelance writing work: find a young tween/teen (maybe from your church) who is possibly too young to babysit on his/her own yet, but who likes children and would want to make a little extra money to be your “mother’s helper” while you are home and getting things done. You wouldn’t have to pay them the full babysitting rate, and they would start to gain experience for full-service babysitting in the future.
Love your blog, btw! 🙂
I was just talking with an old friend about how we can’t believe parents used to leave their tiny children in our care- we were only 13 when we started babysitting! We were good kids and very responsible, but kids don’t know how to take care of kids! Thank goodness nothing scary ever happened. I did change many, many diapers though.
We don’t have any family close enough for regular date nights. 🙁 But we have gone on two weekend camping trips with friends and left our son with my parents.
We pay $10/hour to our babysitter. And she mostly just watches him while he’s sleeping. But she’s awesome with him and I totally trust her. Although we’re too cheap to go out regularly with those prices.
Ha! I have a 2.5 year old and a 14 month old and I can almost count the number of date nights we’ve had since #1 was born. And they were all when my out-of-town mom happened to be around. We really need to suck it up and do the baby sitter thing too. I think of the people who hired my 11-year-old self to watch their infants and I wonder what the bleep they were thinking?! Hehe.
Um, Ana White definitely has her own planet of awesomeness. She is basically the one woman alive that I would worry my husband would leave me for. But, I think she is the one woman alive that I would leave my husband for, so it all comes out in the wash. Team Ana. Can’t wait to build her farmhouse bed.
So, I’m a new reader (and even newer commenter!) and I think you’re the cat’s pajamas, Katie. And my cats have some pretty snazzy pajamas. Keep it up!
Our funny babysitter story happened when we first left our 18-month old daughter with my friend’s 14 year old (fiirst time with a non-Grandma babysitter) for an afternoon wedding. We can home after 3 hours to find the babysitter knocked out cold on the couch and my daughter sitting in the rocker in her room, crying and reading books 🙁 the first and last time we used a non-Grandma.
My built in babysitters, AKA parents, moved from Snellville to Lookout Mountain, TN last year – leaving us without a babysitter (how dare they!!). So, about a month ago we hired our first non family member babysitters and it went so great. We have one daughter who is 4 and very easy going. The babysitters were actually a set of twins (I felt much more comfortable that there were two!) and their parents live 3 houses down from us. They said they only charged $5 for both of them an hour, which my husband and I thought was crazy low, so we paid them $20 for a little over 2 hours. Just rip off the band-aid… after I actually had left my daughter once I felt much more comfortable doing it again, so this Friday is our second date night – Woo Hoo! My husband is so thankful.
Hmmmm, am I the only mom that says, “wow – i cannot wait to get out!” I have a 5 and 2 year old. With both kids, I think I went out to dinner within the first 2 weeks — once when my mom was there and then with the other kid, by brother babysat. It’s sooooo imperative for my husband and I to have date night, otherwise I feel like we are stuck in the rut of daily life — diapers, whining, mac & cheese — never getting dressed up, putting on lipgloss, never being able to have an uninterupted conversation, etc. I truly can say that when I leave for date night, I’m super excited for my 3-4 hours away. And the $50 — I like to call it money for my marriage!
I think church is a great place to find babysitters, especially in the summers when college aged kids are home and might appreciate some extra money. Our son is 21 months and I have never been shy about leaving him for a night out or a weekend away (though when we go for a weekend my parents keep him). The time that I get one on one with my husband helps our relationship so much since we both work demanding jobs. Good for you guys making time for yourselves!! And keep up the good work, Will is just too precious!
I agree that people use them way less now. I started babysitting when I was 12 and thanks to some awesome references, I had really fantastic childcare jobs that got me through college and a couple years after when I was working very low-paying jobs and couldn’t make rent. In the area I now live in, people require that their nanny/babysitter have a college degree in early childhood education.
I’ve wanted to try Kampai. Was it worth it? We love Hibachi, but we had a bad fried rice experience (Chop Stix on Sugarloaf–avoid at all costs), and so we haven’t eaten any Asian-type food since then. My mother-in-law lives nearby, so we use her a lot, but I can give you recommendations for good teenage babysitters in our area. My husband and I teach JH and HS at Greater Atlanta Christian School and use students at times to babysit when my mother-in-law can’t. If you want names, email me. We have some girls at our church who babysit to earn money for mission trips. And, yes, babysitters change diapers, put kids to bed, even bathe them if you want :-).
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog for a few months, but I’ve always been too chicken to comment, but reading some of the other comments gave me the push I needed. I just finally stopped babysitting, I lived in Pennsylvania until I got a full time job in New Jersey, and the lowest amount I was paid recently was $12, with $15 being more typical. I did drive myself, am CPR certified, and have infant experience, but still, I feel like $15 is a very fail amount.
A child is one of the most important things in parents’ lives, why would parents skimp on care for their children?
Also, I believe in being paid the same amount no matter how many children (if there are more than is safe for one babysitter to watch, then you need extra babysitters) You’re being paid for your time, also sometimes having more than one is a little easier – they can entertain each other, or if one is a baby, sometimes the older one is a fantastic distraction for a cranky baby.
I’m Jewish and worked at my synagogue and got a TON of my jobs from there because parents knew I was good with kids, I knew their kids, and also the synagogue does background checks on it’s employees so they knew I was safe. I would definitely recommend asking your church for recommendations, or maybe some of the teenagers in your youth group!
Oh I also want to let you know how much I love your blog. I don’t have my own house but I have been living out of my parents house for 3 months (and have been in 2 different apartments, yuck) and your blog always makes me want to renovate. I love the posts about your family too, your humor is so uplifting and always entertains.
I’m sorry I just wrote a book, but childcare is definitely something I am passionate about. Good luck!
Ok, my daughter is 8 months and I thought we had it bad because we haven’t really had a date night. She stayed the night over at Grandma & Grandpa’s house on Saturday night and the hubs and I went to Hobby Lobby & Bonefish. We got ca-ray-zay, I tell ya! I’m glad you and the boyfriend were finally able to get out and enjoy yourselves. 🙂
I babysit quite often- I am 18 and I make about $6 an hour on average. To be honest, I don’t ever have to do much- I usually babysit for couples from our church/cousins, and their kids are really well-behaved or are going to bed about an hour after I am there… so the 6 bucks is plenty for me. I think it is a bit rediculous to expect a lot more because it isn’t a fulltime job…
Katie–totally unrelated to this post, but I saw this today and thought of you…hahhaha:)
http://www.amazon.com/Bacon-Candy-Womens-T-Shirt-CafePress/dp/B005BCPS0Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=apparel&qlEnable=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1310610761&sr=1-3
You guys are killin’ me! $10-12 an hour! We could only afford to go have a quicky in the woods. Maybe this going rate is for more than one kid but if I’m paying that much my dishes better be sparklin!
It was definitely a little pricey – about $20 per person…but I figure we gave up going to movies years ago so a couple extra dollars for dinner & a show is worth it 🙂
And yes, I will definitely have to email you if I ever get to the point where we saved up enough for a babysitter 🙂
xo – kb
I’m pretty sure I started my booming babysitting business at 12 years old (were those parents on crack?!) and I charged $2.00/hour (probably because I knew NOTHING about children) to watch a 2-year old and a 4 year old (seriously, I think those parents were on crack).
I’m in the same boat. My son is only 4 months old and we left him with grandpa for 24 hours and I just about died. I don’t think I will be doing that again for a looong time.
Loving your blog and Will is just adorable.