Grandparents...how often do they babysit?

CAMSMOM1 wrote: I'm full of questions today!


I was wondering how often your parents/in-laws babysit your kids? And do they watch them overnight for you?

And do they offer to take the kid(s) for you, or do you have to ask them to babysit?


I would say about once a month either my Mom or my MIL will watch Cameron. It just depends if anything's going on that month for me to ask them to babysit. But my Mom has been asking more to take Cameron for me, for a weekend. Wow, that would be nice! I guess I'm going to have to plan a vacation for us! My MIL on the other hand, only watches him if I have to ask, which I hate doing.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: When we lived near MIL she would watch the kids only if I asked. Now that we are out of state...never
My mom and step dad will arrange with the kids sleepovers then tell me about it after SOmetimes they will pretend to ask me first but they know I will always say yes so they don't really need to
Oh and it's once or twice a month...depending on how much they are in town

3xsthefun replied: It use to be about once a month. Well my MIL would keep the girls overnight about once a month. But it has been a few months since she has kept both of them overnight. She did keep Kaitlynn during her Christmas break one night.

It just depends sometimes we ask them to watch the kids or sometimes they will ask.

My mom will keep them sometimes. But they haven't stayed over night since last summer. She works alot so she don't get to watch them as much.

I'm hoping soon we can get a sitter again. I've been wanting some alone time with DH.

C&K*s Mommie replied: My mother watches our girls each night that I go to class, if Chris is not getting off early. That is only 3 nights a week. But it is not overnight. Before Kellie was born she would watch Christian every weekend without us even asking. Now that we have 2 to watch- we only ask her to watch them once every few months or so overnight, unless there is something going on we want to do.

My MIL has kept Christian a few times in Tallahassee for several days. Once my MIL stayed overnight here, only to take Christian back with her- as we were planning to come to town anyhow in a few days. Or we have been in town, and we left Christian behind when we knew that they were going to be coming here in the days following. Kellie is just not old enough to be kept out of town for several days.

amymom replied: Never. My parents are deceased. My MIL, I wouldn't leave an animal with.

My mom would hang out with my son every chance she got. She was great with him. He was her only grandchild and was four when she passed away. And My dad would rarely stay with the kids when we visited and I went shopping or something. But I never left the kids with him more than an hour.

MamaJAM replied: I'm blessed with parents who LOVE to babysit ....and a MIL who does it because she gets jealous when my parents watch the kids.
My father retired in Jan 2001 -- ever since he LOVES helping take the kids to school.....so he does that a few times each week for me. Also - my parents often pick the girls up at the end of the school day and bring them home.

As far as actual 'babysitting' - between the 3 of them (and occasionally FIL - when he's not working).....I can get a sitter almost every time I need/want one. Mostly so I can attend meetings/appointments without the boys in-tow. MIL is usually the one who watches the kids in the evenings so DH and I can go out.

MIL spent the night here with the kids so DH and I could go away for 1 or 2 nights in the past. BUT - that hasn't happened since either of the boys were born. Partly because we don't think she can handle the whole routine by herself with all 5 kids...partly because we have 'trust issues' with her and really don't want her alone with the kids that long until they are older. Though next Jan is our 15th wedding anniversary - and I _really_ want to go away for a few days! She did spend nights at our house when DH and I were at the hospital when each of the boys were born...but that was different.

aspenblue1 replied: My MIL calls all the time wanting to take Isabella to her house or to have Isabella spend the night. She will offer to watch Kyrsten on occasion. My mom hasn't watched them much just for like 1/2 a time when I have to go to school before Jason gets off.

I usually let my mil take Isabella when she asks becuase Isabella is her whole life.

BAC'sMom replied: I am very blessed I live right next door to my Mom (75 yards or so). She has always kept my children; they have never been to daycare. She even goes after the older two when they get out of school in the afternoons. But come the weekends she likes her free time, she will on occasion let them spend the night with her.

Man, I love my Mom.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I WISH! Both my parents and in-laws live out of state, so I just have a regular babysitter that we use maybe once a month when DH and I want to go out.

coasterqueen replied: My IL's have only watched the girls ONCE since Kylie was born. They can't seem to handle my children. Anyone else's children they can handle, but they get too uptight with my girls. Edited to say that my IL's don't even attempt to come to our house to see the girls. The only time they see them is if/when we make the attempt to go to theirs. They never offer because they still live the life of a teenager, sadly since they have an almost 9 year old of their own. My FIL will never grow up.

My parents live a mile down the road from us and see the girls every other week, I'd say - sometimes once a week. They really don't offer to babysit, but Kylie will ask if she can spend the night and they are ok with that. We only ask every couple of months for them to sit and they do.

I'd ask them more, but Dh and I can find other ways/times to be together w/o being away from the girls or having someone sit them. We are already away from them all day at work, so I think that's enough for them . BUT we were doing date night once a month before Megan was born, course that didn't last but a few months, lol. We might start doing this more after Megan turns a year though.

Kaitlin'smom replied: My MIL only once since Kait was born, she lives 3 hours aways but FIL would love to have her for a weekend. We might try some night DH and I can go stay in a B&B close so if she freeks we can get her.

My parents they woudl more if we lived closer, (30 minutes) but will happily take her when ever needed. Infact she has been asking to spend the ngiht with them, so I think I wll take her up on that soon.

My2Beauties replied: My mom keeps Hanna EVERY single Saturday night! That is her day with Hanna LOL! She doesn't get to see her at all through the week so that is her day, so it gives us time to do stuff. Brian's mom and dad keep her about twice a month or so, sometimes less sometimes more. It just depends on whenever they want her. She stayed the night with them on Wednesday night. But she only stays with family, we have yet to let her stay with anyone besides my mom or dad, his mom and dad or his grandma!

kimberley replied: my dad and his gf will babysit when i ask. they have offered a couple of times for us to run errands or get out for a couple of hours. dh's parents we have to ask when we have a function or something and they don't always say yes. everyone babysits here because it is easier for us and the kids so that is part of their issue since they sleep early and don't want to drive

no overnights for the girls because of nursing and they don't see IL's enough. boys will overnight with their grandmother at the cottage but get homesick fast.

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: My mom babysits everyday unless she has to work and then my dad babysits or she goes to a home daycare. They volunteer to babysit, but they have never had her overnight.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: My in-laws have watched Andrew once - they've offered to do it more but we never go anywhere. My parents live too far away to be able to babysit. I wish we lived closer to them because I would totally ask my mom to take Andrew for a few hours all the time just to give me a break and I know she'd love it.... I just don't feel comfortable doing that with MIL.

My3LilMonkeys replied: My parents & the IL's both watch the girls 2 days a week each for about 4 hrs while DH and I are both at work(SIL watches them the 5th day). MIL & FIL are great about watching them whenever we need someone and have taken Brooke overnight camping a few times. My mom works weekends so she doesn't get to help out as much but my dad will watch them for a few hours but no longer (my grandfather lives with my parents and has severe alzheimer's - my dad can't handle all 3 for very long).

CosmetologyMommy replied: my MIL used to babysit for Aidan so I could go to school but now he goes to KinderCare. My mom watches him more than mil, so maybe about twice a month,

gr33n3y3z replied: All the time when the kids were younger

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I am sure that all grandparents would love to, but they all live out of state. So, we don't go many places that we can't take Logan with us.

luvmykids replied: Until the twins were 1, we lived a few blocks from my mom and dad and they watched them a lot, without us asking. All the other gparents lived out of town. Then we moved, and FIL/wife were 45 mins away, so they'd take them for a weekend about twice a month.

Now that there are 3, everyone's afraid to take them all! FIL/wife rarely did it, I think only once since we had Macie. BUT MIL/her DH would come from Utah and stay with the kids, they've done it 3 times for 4 days and this year they're doing it for a week!!!! So nice to have the kids be able to stay at home, and not have to pack them up!

Now we live near my mom again and she'd do it all the time if she could but just had surgery on her knee. She'll come over during naps so I can run out, and once she feels better she'll probably do it a lot more. My stepdad is so good with them but a little nervous. My other dad/stepmom live in San Diego and have only seen the kids once.

3_call_me_mama replied: My parents see the kids a lot but it really isnt' babysitting. I mena my mom keeps Kathleen for an hour on Wednesdays when Cameron has ice skating. And for 45 minutes on Tuesday afternoons when he has dance. They might babysit for a few hours (3-4) on a Saturday maybe once a month but usually once wever 5-6 weeks. We go to theri house as a family a lot. (thy live liek 5 minutes away)
My inlaws lie 6 hours away. When they come up they might watch teh kids for a coupel hours so we can get groceries done or whatever. When we go to their house they usually give us an afternoon (11-4) off and keep the kids and we go to the mall or whatever. My kids have never spent teh night anywhere without one of us. MIL came her and stayed teh night with cameron overnight when kathleen was born. But it was in our home and we only stayed 24 hours in teh hospital. Cameorn might be having his first sleepover at teh inlaws house in March. We are going down with some friends for a shopping trip adn staying at a hotel andits' abotu 1/2 hour form IL's house so they might kepe Cameron over night and for teh day that Saturday. We still havent' decided yet though. And it'll be up to him.
Neither set of grandparents has ever felt teh need to have "their time" with just the kids. If they don't want to see us and spend teh time with us then they don't need ot see the kids. IMO. Some people think we're crazy to not leave tehm places but I didn't have kids to dump them on their grandparents wether it si what teh grandparents want or not. No offense to anyone that does leave their kids alot we just see no need to and don't .

TeagansMom609 replied: My mom watches Teagan every Thursday while we work and MIL every Tuesday. Both of them will gladly watch her when ever we ask.

~~*Missi*~~ replied: my MIL ummm sees her holidays and sabrinas birthday not cause she lives far away (she lives 5blocks away) cause thats her.
So no i don't and wouldn't let her, or ask her to take sabrina. I know its mean but i figure that if she can't be bothered i am not going out of my way. If she showed a legit interest ALL the time maybe but now no

My mom and us all share a home. So my mom and dad take her all the time! Saturday everyother week is GeGe's day (great grandma) Mom gets up with her I get to sleep in and they go to gege's house and have lunch. MOM just made the plans and asked me if it was ok.....

I haven't really needed a sitter LOL we have gone out 3 times maybe in her 16m