Why is this just MY problem?

Alright, here's my vent...I work full time and have a work thing that I must go to. I'm having some babysitter issues. I had 3 that I mainly used. Two left for college and are no longer available. That leaves one and I think she quit us. The last couple times I've called to ask her to babysit, she's been unable. Tonight she told me that she's not allowed to babysit on school nights. I suppose that's possible, but she used to babysit on school nights. I told DH that I think he didn't pay her enough last time and now she's quit us.
Anyway, here's my big complaint...why is desperately looking for someone to watch DS always MY PROBLEM and never DH's. Is it the mommy's job to ALWAYS find the sitters? I'm so so so upset about this. (Could be the pregnancy hormones but I've already cried about this.) And if this babysitter quit us, it could be a very very long year of no nights out. We rarely went out as it was.

[planet]

You have all of my sympathy here. :therethere: Whenever I suggest that we do something I hear dh say he's totally game and willing all I have to do is arrange a sitter and he'll be there. Hmmm...wonder why we never do anything?!

[Phoebe]

I feel your pain. We just had a babysitter quit us I think. We paid her really well. I think she just didn't have enough time with her regulars to help out our irregular times. She moved anyways.

Can't your DH ask some nurses? We get nurses regularly because of DH. I hate calling babysitters. How about a college nearby? We use a local university with a babysitting list and get girls in sororities that have lots of friends who like to earn money and like kids.

Just a suggestion. I would babysit for you if we lived in the same area.

[DCJenn]

http://www.sittercity.com

I have had nothing but excellent sitters through them. Of course, I pre-screen and only hire the ones with college degrees and I cough up the money for the background check but it's worth it in the end.

Jenn

[Meenah]

I trust DCJenn!!

If you live close enough to me I have an awesome sitter that I'd be happy to share. She goes to St. James (which is right by my house). The trick is that she doesn't drive, but her parents are usually game to drive one way. She lives right by Legends - which I know can be a haul. I waited a long time to use her b/c of it (my neighbor uses her and is the AD at St. James), but now I don't hesitate. She's worth the trouble (and inexpensive).

[houseelf]

Must not hijack Jules KC's thread ...Must not be impolite....

GAH I soooo feel your pain about childcare falling exclusively to the nonmedical spouse.

Kelly

[planet]

Must not hijack Jules KC's thread ...Must not be impolite....

GAH I soooo feel your pain about childcare falling exclusively to the nonmedical spouse.

Kelly

[houseelf]

house elf wrote:
Must not hijack Jules KC's thread ...Must not be impolite....

GAH I soooo feel your pain about childcare falling exclusively to the nonmedical spouse.

Kelly

Not directed towards you at all...I just have a habit of someone mentioning something and me being a complete social moron by writign a homily on my experience with that issue. Planet, you do not do this. Promise!

Kelly

We face the same thing too, problem is that DH doesn't really know where to begin with looking for a sitter....we met a super sweet lady when we first moved here and although I felt like an idiot, I called her and asked her is she knew any sitters...turned out she had 3 daughters and they are AMAZING!!! Do you have any nice people around you? If not, my friends who have all used sittercity swear by them! Nurses are a great idea too...our OT dept also used to have some casual employees who would sit....

[migirl]

We go through this too (not with the sitter issue, though, since we've never had a sitter who's not MIL ). DH will say, "We need to do this" or "We should look into that" ... which really means, "I need you to do this" or "You'll need to look into that." Pisses me off every time.

Anyway, this was so surprising to me but I have a few friends who've found really great sitters and nannies through Craig's List. That might be worth a try...

And a minor tangent: I was talking to DH's program's chairman's wife about this same issue at a party once (finding sitters), and she suggested getting a student from the local Christian college because "she'll be so busy reading her Bible that she won't be distracted by boys". Mmm-kay.

[GrayMatterWife]

Try contacting the nursing school, the social work school, or the education school at your local college. Sometimes they have lists of students that babysit. Also, if your residency program has a spouse support auxillary, they may have a list.

[peggyfromwastate]

and she suggested getting a student from the local Christian college because "she'll be so busy reading her Bible that she won't be distracted by boys". Mmm-kay.

finding a sitter SUCKS!

[Gwendolyn]

Only commiseration here. DH wouldn't begin to know where to look. I often grab students and the younger daycare teachers without kids of their own. In both settings I get to observe their level of responsibility and a general attitude of compassion before letting them into my house. It always is a bit weird because I am their teacher or boss, so we way over pay...at any rate it sucks to be the only one responsible for a pretty big parenting decision...I have always been responsible for daycare too. Before I jumped into the business, that was me too. I don't think DH would have even know how to get to DS's first two daycares...or even their names...If I were in a horrible accident, DS might have had to take up residency at the daycare...seriously! Now he knows where we are located and even picks up once or twice a year

Sorry...I totally hijacked

So sorry!

I hope you find someone great to babysit. Then you can tell your DH to appreciate you for doing it.