Back in the day when your children were young and growing, did you rely on babysitters?

A

Aunt Marg

SF VIP
Grahamg's, started thread topic - "Silly things said when a new baby arrives, (like, oh dear, another mouth to feed)", got me to thinking about this.

I know times were much different back in the day, as every mother I knew stayed home to take care of the family, the home, the meals, everything, I know, because my mom was one of those mothers. Nonetheless, when I was much younger, I do remember my mom having a babysitter in (when needed) to care for us (family and/or a neighbourhood mom), and then when I reached a mature age to handle the task, I became chief babysitter.

- Still, when you needed care for your children, did family offer to babysit, or did you have to hire someone outside of family?
- Do you remember what you paid for a sitter back in the day?

Thought it would be both fun and interesting to peruse this conversation, because times sure have changed today compared to back in the day.

Babysitting rates are through the roof now. Had sitter rates been comparable to rates today, there's no way I would have been able to afford a sitter when my kids were little (1980's).

Speaking of sitters today, I no longer see Wanted Ads in newspapers/advertiser papers related to people looking for babysitting work, but back in the day when my kids were little our newspaper and advertiser papers were chock-full of babysitting ads, both in the way of people looking for babysitting work, and people looking to sitters.

Just as a side note to all this, when I started babysitting... early 1970's, I made .25¢ an hour, and I made the same .25¢ an hour for years, right up until I got into high-school, at which time I started seeing .50¢ an hour.

Anyhow, would love to hear from you on this.
 

We were lucky in that we had several single-mother friends. If someone wanted to go out, we'd just call around to see who wanted an extra kid for the night. The child would spend the night and get picked up the next morning.

No worry about staying out late, no having to drive the babysitter home, no worry about there being a party at your house as soon as you left.

We all took turns and nobody took advantage.
 
Sometimes family babysat my kids, but mostly we hired our neighbor's college aged daughter. Hubby and I went on a date once a week in those days. Our kids have very fond memories of Wendy babysitting them - she was really terrific!

It was the late 80s through late 90s and at $5 per hour I know I overpaid, but I wanted someone who was a bit older and would actually play with them and pay attention. The three kids could be quite a handful so she earned every dollar.

When I babysat in the late 1960s I got 50 cents an hour.
 

We never had a babysitter. We were homebodies anyway and rarely had a desire to go out. On the rare occasion my mom or mother in law would watch the kids.
I remember going out for one of our anniversaries and that's about it.
My son was an especially good little traveler. My daughter would have her moments but we still could enjoy ourselves.
If we couldn't take the kids we didn't go.
 
Love hearing from everyone!

One thing I just noticed related to my OP, I overlooked mentioning that we (as kids) didn't have an-home sitter often. When my mom was in a bind, couldn't take us with her, or it just wasn't feasible for us kids to tag along with her, she's call a babysitter, and only then. Otherwise being the homebody that mom was there was not a lot of call for babysitters in our home.

When my kids were little we sort of had a babysitting co-op in our hood, where all of us moms knew one another, and if and when someone needed a sitter, we were there for one another. The nice part about that was, no one ever paid for services.

As for what I paid my two long-time sitters, .50¢ an hour. I do recall going out a few times on New Years Eve, or other special occasions throughout the year and me giving them a little extra for an evening, but .50¢ was my normal standard.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Love hearing from everyone!

One thing I just noticed related to my OP, I overlooked mentioning that we (as kids) didn't have an-home sitter often. When my mom was in a bind, couldn't take us with her, or it just wasn't feasible for us kids to tag along with her, she's call a babysitter, and only then. Otherwise being the homebody that mom was there was not a lot of call for babysitters in our home.

When my kids were little we sort of had a babysitting co-op in our hood, where all of us moms knew one another, and if and when someone needed a sitter, we were there for one another. The nice part about that was, no one ever paid for services.

As for what I paid my two long-time sitters, .50¢ an hour. I do recall going out a few times on New Years Eve, or other special occasions throughout the year and me giving them a little extra for an evening, but .50¢ was my normal standard.
Click to expand...
I was a latch key kid, never had a sitter myself.
 
Aneeda72 said:
I was a latch key kid, never had a sitter myself.
Click to expand...
My opinion, every child deserves a mom or dad at home to greet them, to be there for them with a warm hug if/when they arrive home sick/not feeling well, to have the heat on in the house, the lights on, and ready to serve the child something to eat.

I'm old-fashioned that way.
 
Pinky said:
Me too.
That's why I was a stay-at-home Mom. Realistically, not everyone is fortunate enough to do that.
Click to expand...
Times have changed, Pinky, that's a fact, and by no means am I looking to dovetail into this conversation a debate as to today's lifestyles in relation to yesteryears lifestyles, but from all that I see, people nowadays have lost their way financially.

Few live within their means anymore, and most want it all... yesterday if they can. In other words, people have brought on their own woes, and sure, the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past decade or two, but I truly believe if parents want what's best for their children, the means is there for them, just that it's more important today for many to have two high-end motorcars and a top of the line SUV sitting out front of their 4 car-garage.
 
My wife never worked outside the home, so she did a phenomenal job of raising our kids....while I just brought home the paycheck. Then, when one of our daughters/son-in-law still lived nearby and they had two girls, my wife babysat them for years while the kids worked. So, we had the pleasure of having youngsters around the house for decades.
 
Don M. said:
My wife never worked outside the home, so she did a phenomenal job of raising our kids....while I just brought home the paycheck. Then, when one of our daughters/son-in-law still lived nearby and they had two girls, my wife babysat them for years while the kids worked. So, we had the pleasure of having youngsters around the house for decades.
Click to expand...
What a wonderful arrangement and reward that is.
 
Living in military housing in various places, we always had an arrangement with neighbors to swap kids when we needed to when kids were very little. As they got a little older, we frequently just had their friends sleep over when parents needed a babysitter and vice versa. It all worked out great and nobody had to pay any money (which is always short in military families).
 
Butterfly said:
Living in military housing in various places, we always had an arrangement with a neighbor to swap kids when we needed to when kids were very little. As they got a little older, we frequently just had their friends sleep over when parents needed a babysitter and vice versa. It all worked out great and nobody had to pay any money (which is always short in military families).
Click to expand...
Such a lovely feeling to be able to support one another through times of need, knowing it's "on the house". :)
 
Aunt Marg said:
Times have changed, Pinky, that's a fact, and by no means am I looking to dovetail into this conversation a debate as to today's lifestyles in relation to yesteryears lifestyles, but from all that I see, people nowadays have lost their way financially.

Few live within their means anymore, and most want it all... yesterday if they can. In other words, people have brought on their own woes, and sure, the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past decade or two, but I truly believe if parents want what's best for their children, the means is there for them, just that it's more important today for many to have two high-end motorcars and a top of the line SUV sitting out front of their 4 car-garage.
Click to expand...
I agree with what you say, Marg. When I got pregnant, it was decided I would stay at home. We budgeted and were very thrifty .. did not take vacations. I bought clothes from a neighbour's factory at a great discount for years, and cut my own hair. We only got a second vehicle from my father-in-law's passing and lived in a small house. It was the only way to manage on one income, and we managed it well.
 
Pinky said:
I agree with what you say, Marg. When I got pregnant, it was decided I would stay at home. We budgeted and were very thrifty .. did not take vacations. I bought clothes from a neighbour's factory at a great discount for years, and cut my own hair. We only got a second vehicle from my father-in-law's passing and lived in a small house. It was the only way to manage on one income, and we managed it well.
Click to expand...
Same here, Pinky.

One vehicle, me at home fulltime, and boy, did we ever feel the pinch, but looking back in it in retrospect, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's the way I was raised, and I always had it in my mind that I would do the same when the time came.

Your and my children were better off for it.
 
Don M. said:
My wife never worked outside the home, so she did a phenomenal job of raising our kids....while I just brought home the paycheck. Then, when one of our daughters/son-in-law still lived nearby and they had two girls, my wife babysat them for years while the kids worked. So, we had the pleasure of having youngsters around the house for decades.
Click to expand...
Sounds very similar to my wife and I. We were also fortunate to have our parents and relatives nearby. My wife cared for them and also as your wife, she cared for quite a few of the grand-kids as they came along.

It was a different world back then.
 
DaveA said:
Sounds very similar to my wife and I. We were also fortunate to have our parents and relatives nearby. My wife cared for them and also as your wife, she cared for quite a few of the grand-kids as they came along.

It was a different world back then.
Click to expand...
It sure was, Dave.
 
My brother is ten years younger than me. My mom worked, so when I got home from school, we had a baby sitter till my dad got home. But by the time I got to be 14, I told my parents, it was weird for me to have a sitter. It was only for a hour or 90 minutes. So, I became my brother's baby sitter. I think I did a good job, and some day we'll find him , again.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top