Do/Did your parent babysit ?

[tvguy]

My mom retired two years before our oldest was born. She had caught up on all the things she never got around to around her house and yard and was looking for something to do. We had a slot reserved for our son in childcare but my mom said she wanted to watch him. She watched him full time until he was 2 1/2 when he went into daycare.
She got a year and a half off before our youngest was born. My mom insisted she was watching our daughter until she was 3 1/2
We really didn't have much need for a break, we hired an outside babysitter exactly once and that was for both kids. We enjoyed being around our kids.
Grandma was the backup for school holidays and if one of them was sick. The bond my kids had with my mom was priceless. I saw that because I never knew my Grandparents, 3 were gone before I was born, and the 4th passed before I met him. My kids were 22 and 26 when my mom passed away, and they were devestated.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

My mom watched my eldest for me full time. When I found out I was pregnant right out of high school she quit her part time job and told me to get a job while she watched the baby. She always wanted to be a SAHM but they were not able to afford it while my brother and I were younger. Instead she became a SAHGM. Her and my daughter are super close and even though my daughter is 19 now she still has sleepovers with grandma and papa.

Now that my husband and I had our son last year both my mom and MIL take turns watching him so we do not have to pay for daycare. My MIL is a SAHM to my 10 year old BIL and loves watching the grandbabies as well.

Both my mom and MIL will watch our son for date night or just to go to the grocery store now that we don’t want to take him in public during Covid. My mom has already agreed to watch him overnight on our anniversary in August.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

It has happened only a very few handful of times. I think I have celebrated more anniversary dinners WITH kid present than not
Some family members delight in calling ~20 minutes before we are due to drop off DD, and cancelling on us.

what is date night? everytime we go out, something goes wrong. that's why we just try to splurge and enjoy vacations.

 

[clh2]

We only have DD (now 26). She only had my parents (paternal grandparents had both passed before she was born). We only Used my parents a few times for sitting, and only when desperate. My mom and dad moved about 4 hours away when DD was in kindergarten. While she had adored them, once they moved away; there was little or no interaction with them.

while I would have no interest in providing full time daycare for our 1-year old grandchild, I did have the fabulous opportunity to watch him for 3 hours a day, after his daycare shutdown when the state shut down for Covid. I loved spending this time with him!

 

[disney212]

My kids are grown but no grandkids. My parents had 0 interest in watching my kids.

 

[AP1209]

Before corona my mother would watch the kids for us 1 weekend a month which was very generous. She has also watched them for a week in the summer so we could take an adult vacation. My parents are divorced and I wouldn't trust my dad to watch my kids. DW parents have never watched the kids for more than a couple hours enough for us to see a movie or go to dinner.

 

[Minnesota!]

No. My dad, and both of my in-laws passed before I had kids. My mom moved 2 hours away when my kids were itty bitty.

And, I kind of live by "my kids, my responsibility". I never asked my mom (or anyone) to watch my kids. We did it as a family or didn't do it at all. We went to a wedding when my older son was 2 and my BIL said he would just keep him overnight. That was the first time I was away from him. And then it didn't happen again for many years. I just have never felt like I "needed" a break. Dh is the same way. My kids have always been super chill and easy and fun to be around...

 

[georgina]

My in-laws did not live near us so never did. My parents were 2 hours away but they did watch our kids, only once for a weekend. My parents were over 40 when I was born, and as my kids got older and they got into their 80's I would not trust them to drive my kids anywhere. It was fine, we never really felt that much need for a break either.

I plan to move closer to my DD and her DH so that when they have kids, hopefully in a year or two, we will be around to babysit them!

 

[E&Cmom]

No

 

[mrsheppo]

My mom babysat my oldest one weekend when my ex and I went away for our anniversary. She passed away a few months later. I have babysat all my grandkids (except for the new baby born this week). I use to watch my 5 year old grandson for a week at a time when his mom was in the hospital for cancer treatment

 

[Antonia]

I’m a Nana to 2 children and I’ve never “babysat” them in my life. I don’t consider my time with them “babysitting “ but rather an absolute privilege to get to spend time with them! We have gone on trips together sometimes for a week at a time, many times for a day. They call and ask if they can come to spend the night and the answer is always yes!!!!! Because I know the time with them is fleeting. They will grow up and not want to spend so much time with us, so I make sure I wring every drop out of this time together - and my husband does as well. One day we’ll look back on some of the best years of our lives - memories made with grandchildren! No, I’ll never babysit them! But I’d take nothing for the relationship I have with them!

 

[bjscheel]

Yes, my parents lived 4 miles away when my kids were little. We had daycare but my mom would take them for the occasional night out. Then when our youngest started K, my parents happened to move to town a block from the elementary. So we started getting a teen for summers and using my mom for after school and occasional other times and transportation needs. It was so nice to have the help!

DH's parents were willing but an hour away so we didn't call on them too often.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

No my parents never babysat.

My mother wasn’t interested in parenting so spending time with her grandkids was not something she wanted to ever do.

my father was an absent alcoholic when I was a kid. My parents broke up when I was 9 and he wasn’t around much after that.

My grandmother (dads mom) watched my kids while I worked from the time DD was 5 months old until she went to Kindergarten And then after school until now that she’s in high school. DS was 6 at the time so she would have him after school. (We live within clicks of each other) She loved it and so did they. I’m very thankful They have a grandparent relationship with someone. They still go to her house every week to visit and hang out with her.

oddly enough my dad cleaned up and lived with my grandma for years so he’s close with my kids. Two years ago I went to Mexico without the kids (DS was 18 so fine to be home alone and watch his sister) and my dad stayed at my house and kept an eye on them. Blew my mind. Lol

my mother has been very involved in her church for about ten years now and does all kinds of activities with the kids in her church. Yet she still wouldn’t do anything with my kids. She will literally pass by my house and my brothers home To take the church kids on an outing and not even ask to pick up our kids or even stop for a visit.

 

[design_mom]

My parents and my in-laws would watch the kids on occasion. I never remember asking and being turned down, but I didn't ask very often and they never "offered" either. If we asked, it was generally not for fun outings like date night.

That being said, both my parents and my inlaws have made a point to develop relationships with the kids. They see them pretty regularly and have made a point to show up at some of their events throughout the years. (Not all of them, but enough to be "involved" with the grandkids' lives.) The grandkids are all teens now and have good feelings about their grandparents, even if they do roll their eyes at them now and then. ;-)

 

[dyna]

OHHHHHHHH an I have not watch my gkids either I've never really been asked only 1 of my DD's has kids an my other DD watches them when they need sitter always has. I live to far away an have for yrs

 

[georgina]

I’m a Nana to 2 children and I’ve never “babysat” them in my life. I don’t consider my time with them “babysitting “ but rather an absolute privilege to get to spend time with them! We have gone on trips together sometimes for a week at a time, many times for a day. They call and ask if they can come to spend the night and the answer is always yes!!!!! Because I know the time with them is fleeting. They will grow up and not want to spend so much time with us, so I make sure I wring every drop out of this time together - and my husband does as well. One day we’ll look back on some of the best years of our lives - memories made with grandchildren! No, I’ll never babysit them! But I’d take nothing for the relationship I have with them!

I am planning to watch my grandchild every day for a while when my DD returns to work. To me, that counts as babysitting!