Confession: I get jealous of the parents who live close to their families. I am envious of having "built-in-babysitters."
If you have your own parents living nearby, be thankful. We live 4-5 hours from either of our families (with the exception of my sister who is a half hour away--she used to watch our kids a bit, but she has three of her own now; she is still very willing to watch them, though). When our eldest child was born we lived less than an hour from my parents. We didn't see them too often, but they were always willing to come babysit when we needed it.
We've got great friends who help watch our kids, and we're very thankful for them. But there are plenty of times when we need someone to watch the kids when both my wife and I have to be at work or at a church event (when most of our babysitters are also at church).
If jobs were more abundant in the areas where either of our families lived, we'd consider moving closer. They're both in small town areas (which I would prefer to live and raise kids in). And not just for the baby-sitting but for our kids being able to be around their grandparents more frequently.
Now I write all this not to try and sound whiny, but to bring awareness to the blessing of having family living close to you. Not only is it great for you, but it's great for the kids (which all of this is obvious, I know).
I have a friend, who's also Amissa's friend, who lives in your area that might be willing to babysit if you need it. She's presently a preschool teacher in the Twin Cities, but might be able to help you out when you're in need. I'll see if she's interested then send you a message via Facebook with her number (if she's willing).
ReplyDeleteThanks Boring Mother. Admittedly, for several years our constraint was financial. Dates aren't cheap when you have to pay for someone to watch the kids on top of the other costs. But I know it's worth it in the long run.
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