First babysit.

Oh....that is always hard to do. The first few times I had to leave my son with the babysitter/daycare, he screamed and cried for a long time. Made me feel so guilty and like I'm such a bad mom. But I know he'll need to learn and eventually get used to it. It took him awhile (3 months!!) to get used to that. Now, he LOVES going to daycare or going over to a friend's house. I can leave him there and not worry. He will just wave and kiss me goodbye and walk away and play. But when we first started (especially the 1st time), that was the hardest. We kept calling to make sure he was ok and cut our evening short just so we could get back to him early. I hope you and your wife will be able to get away and do something nice for your anniversary. Don't feel bad or guilty for taking this important time off to spend with each other. Your little one will be ok. Even if he fusses, he will be ok. Just enjoy your evening.

I don't know that I can help a whole lot with this topic because I am not quick to trust people. And that fact has many times kept me from leaving my children with a babysitter. I have three little ones of my own. I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have left them with a babysitter. The fact that my eldest is almost 9 years old tells you how infrequently they've been babysat. I understand completely your concerns. It's really true what they say: No one can care for your child as well as you can. But, for the few times that I have entrusted others to care for them, I did have a lot of anxiety. Those times I was so afraid that my children would be crying and scared without either mommy or daddy to be there. My fears were mainly unfounded. My youngest did have trouble when I left him with my sister-in-law. He cried for me, but once he was distracted he was okay. Your son will be staying with a friend, so chances are, he will be perfectly fine (and happy) having the opportunity to have a little independence and fun with his friend. Just remind yourself that it is only for a few hours and that you are leaving him in capable hands. Be sure to enjoy your time with your wife, because your son will most likely be enjoying himself, and you can't get back the time with your wife that may be overshadowed by parental worry. If your wife has spent most of her time with your son and hasn't had much time away from him, chances are she will be worrying enough for the both of you, so it will be up to you to try to keep that worry from taking over your special evening. As for how I felt the first time I let someone watch my child.. I cried and felt guilty, like I was a bad Mommy for not being there. I spent the evening at dinner worrying over her and calling the baby-sitter repeatedly. It wasn't pleasant. When I returned to the sitter's to pick her up, I felt silly, because she was there having a blast with her friend. So, I worried needlessly and didn't even enjoy myself or my time alone with my husband. Happy Anniversary and I hope you and your wife have a lovely (worry-free) evening!