Babysitting

Jon and I have decided that we need a date night. Not just a one-time thing, but a weekly or semi-monthly thing. Getting out of the house, going to dinner later than 5 o'clock, not worrying about who brought the sippy cup and if Evelyn is going to sit still long enough to wolf down a cheap dinner. No, we want slow meals, movies, browsing at bookstores, quiet, stillness. We want--nay, we need--some alone time. Away from the house, away from the TV, away from the clutter and mess. Alone.

To that end, we are interviewing and hiring a regular babysitter. Ack! The horror! Leaving our little baby angel with a stranger! But I think it will be OK. We're trying to hire someone with a lot of experience, background checks, reference. We're hiring an adult, not a teenager, and we're interviewing her in advance. I wish we had some friends in our area that have kids so we could do a babysitting swap, or get recommendations on a babysitter. Alas, we do not, and so we turn outward.

I remember babysitting as a young teenager. Twelve...13...(wow, that seems so young). I remember hating it but doing it because, I don't know, because that was the thing to do! I earned like $5 an hour and it seemed pretty sweet. Maybe "hate" is a strong word, but I just wasn't into it. I never liked other people's kids (still don't, really), and I would put them to bed really early so I could watch TV or finish homework. And so, even though I was an incredibly responsible teenager and never did anything BAD while babysitting, I wasn't really on-the-ball, either.

I don't want that kind of person taking care of Evelyn. Maybe if she were older, or...no, who am I kidding? I doubt I'll ever feel comfortable leaving her with a young teenager.

Anyhoo...I am rambling. Probably because this whole idea of leaving my most precious and sweet little baby with a crazy stranger off the street is a jarring idea. Even if she isn't a stranger off the street. And even if she is very qualified, has a clean background check, has glowing references, and works in childcare for her 9-5 job. Even if all those things are true, she still is a stranger. A STRANGER. In my house, with my child.

Now that idea of a nanny cam doesn't seem so ridiculous...