Right, I/we've been invited to the pub tonight, and I'd love to go. Now the Mrs is very nervous about leaving our 10 month old daughter with a stranger even if they are a professional babysitter (the service organised by the hotel). We'll be about half an hour's drive away which I think is part of the problem.
Thing is, she desperately needs a break having been looking after Meg more or less 100% for the last 10 months, so I think a pub evening with people she knows and likes would do her and us the world of good. So I am really keen on it.
Anyone used a hotel babysitting service? Anyone been through this sort of thing?
My 2p;
if she's nervous she won't enjoy herself.
half hour drive is quite a way if this is her first time leaving the baby with a stranger.
couldn't you meet either at the hotel bar or somewhere close to it rather than drive so far?
It's a pub quiz that they want to go to, which I think would be a good laugh and stands a chance of getting her/us to forget about it.
Ply her with drink?
No chance. She'd hate every minute. If you missus needs the break so badly, why don't you watch the sprog and let her go?
And also, if you have kids you need to look after them. That gets tiring. But that's life buddy.
If she's not happy with the sitting service just go along for the first hour or so, take little grips with you. Then come home leaving mrs grips in situ to get Lambrini'd up and a taxi back.
Edit: don't some of the mates you are meeting have children? If so, go to their house first, leave Meg with their (trusted) sitter, give them a lift to pub(they can have the Lambrinis too), and collect Meg when you drop them off.
If she's been looking after 100%, then why doesn't she go out whilst you stay in?
I think the crucial words though are "I'd love to go" and "I am really keen on it". Doesn't sound much like she's really keen on it, yet you're dressing it up as something that's for her benefit.
If you missus needs the break so badly, why don't you watch the sprog and let her go?
Well she wants a break with me. She wouldn't be happy going off on her own to hang out with my friends 🙂
And also, if you have kids you need to look after them. That gets tiring. But that's life buddy.
You patronising tw*t. This isn't a moan, it's a question about babysitting. You really need to have a think about how you relate to other people if you find yourself assuming that a total stranger is so totally stupid, naieve and immature that they're somehow SURPRISED that looking after kids is hard work! Yes, we need to look after kids - that, believe it or not, had occurred to us. However, they also have these things called babysitters who you can pay to look after your kids. So you can indeed get a break now and then. That is what this thread is about.
Chill out man. You're right I shouldn't make judgments about total strangers. Nobody should. Sorry.
How much do you know about this babysitter?
I think the crucial words though are "I'd love to go" and "I am really keen on it".
I'm keen on it partly because it'll be good for her. She'd enjoy herself if she can get over the worry.
Again - thanks for assuming I'm the kind of arse that doesn't care about his wife's desires and just drags her about. Jeez, you people have a pretty frigging low opinion of your fellow forum users! Or maybe it's just me that comes over as a right dick?
Ok I'll chill out too 🙂 As for the babysitter, I dunno, it's just advertised that the hotel has a babysitting service... It might all be hypothetical since organising sitters at short notice is tough.
Molgrips, we have never used a babysitter - either in a hotel or at home - that I don't know personally and my wife and I would feel really uncomfortable leaving any of our kids with a stranger. Maybe its wrong, maybe its not, but its the way we are.
Mmm.. I see...
You still at that posh hotel in Farnborough ?
(not planning a babynapping operation BTW 🙂 )
Ah, the posh hotel was booked up. I asked the girl to book me in this week, then I said can I book the next 5 weeks too.. so she said 'why not email these people for the long term' and then failed to book me in for this week. Great.. in bloody Basingstoke now.
Posh hotel lets CSC people stay for £80/night which makes it the same price as the Premier inn 🙂
It's 100% off-topic, but Molgrips, if I said "Caves" would it mean anything to you?
Oh my lord!
Yes.. there is, and always has been only one molgrips.
We're in the same predicament x2. Perhaps you should try someone local, by recommendation if poss, and then go somewhere for an hours trial. Then expand on the service from there?
1/2 hour away to too far I reckon, she wouldn't enjoy it (I don't even think I would TBH).
deffo not for the first time.
we dumped ours with the grandparents a few weeks back and while in the hotel restaurant a couple came in with monitor so the could listen for the kid upstairs, trouble is he was about 2 and not on for sleep so he kept trying to talk to them. they were having a nightmare!
they got full marks for trying.
Lol @ chrispy 🙂
Aviator @ £80 / night ? 😯
Yep, for CSC staff 🙂
Fill ya boots then 🙂
Got upgraded to their version of a suite last week too. It was ace!