Do they behave for a babysitter?
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
June 21, 2009 7:42am CST
I had my mother and sister babysit yesterday while my husband and I went out for awhile. We didn't do anything special, we went out to eat and then walked around the mall by ourselves, but it helped. We definitly needed the time away from the kids!
We got home and my mother told me she had to put the twins to bed very early because they wouldn't listen to her or behave. I'm shocked because my kids are usually on their absolute best behavior, even more so for other people.
They also did a lot of things they know they're not supposed to do, such as playing on the computer, which I'm very strict about because I like to monitor what they do. I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for all the crazy things in my address bar this morning!!!
I was thinking at some point I could maybe leave the kids alone with my sister, but obviously the kids won't behave well enough for her!
Have your kids ever misbehaved for a sitter?
2 people like this
13 responses
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
22 Jun 09
I actually wouldn't know. We don't really have a babysitter. It is usually only my parents or his parents that watch them. As far as I know they have behaved pretty well for anyone that has watched them. With my parents they are good, but my parents aren't afraid to discipline them either. My dad keeps them in line. I think sometimes even the best of kids get a bug that makes them be bad lol.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
22 Jun 09
I think it has to do with what kids know they can get away with. They know how to push YOUR buttons if they are YOUR kids, and sometimes they can push other people's buttons as well. What I've learned is NOT to let them push the same buttons they push with their parents, and I also expect certain things or behaviors, and there are consequences if the kids ignore the expectations.... yes I warn them and I also go by the whole 'one of you does it, you all get in trouble' and we all know that four kids don't want to be in trouble because of ONE of them....
@norrisl4 (65)
• Zimbabwe
22 Jun 09
Were you doing this for the first time? If so the kids may have felt a little stressed. Did you attempt to make the kids buy into the idea of you going out or you took them for granted? Their behaviour seems to be an expression of something rather than pure mischief.
@eighternity (363)
• Philippines
22 Jun 09
I don't leave my kids to the baby sitter. We usually rent a sitter if we are going outside and we take sitter along with us.
@tristanhart (22)
• United States
22 Jun 09
My niece and nephew that I take care of are oposite. They act out in front of their parents but when they are with me or any other baby sitter they are angels. I think kids know who they can do what with so they take advantage of it while they can.
@kavikent (57)
• India
23 Jun 09
Normally children do not like the idea of parents going out leaving them at home. maybe because of that they may misbehave with babysitter and do pranks. I have 2 kids whome once-in- for a while i leave them at home and go for shopping. It is better to teach the children at an early age that parents need to go out as they have other important requirements to meet, and sweetly tell them that they need to accecpt this and co-operate.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
22 Jun 09
I watch my little sister sometimes days at a time and she does misbehave some but not enough to worry over but my hubby gets uptight about it. She is usually good and well behaved for others though that watch her. She minds my sister in laws like a charm when she is at their house playing with their children.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
21 Jun 09
We have not really had to have many sitters, up until recently my eldest son used to babysit for us but of course he is in the RAF now so we do not have him anymore. The last time we went out together was a couple of weeks ago now and we had my hubbys niece come sit for us and they were all really well behaved thank goodness!
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
22 Jun 09
Well, I was going to say that my daughter usually behaves for other people but she's had a few issues the last couple times with someone else. HOWEVER! I can say without doubt that other people's kids seem to be good for me and I have very little trouble with them, even though I'm busy and like to go places. A lot of my friends don't go out much, they just hang out at home because they get stressed at the idea of taking their kids all over because the kids whine, gripe, complain, run around, etc.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
21 Jun 09
My kids usually do not stay with a sitter. When I have left them with a sitter they are normally very well unless I leave them with my mother because she lets them do whatever they want then tells me how bad they were (yep she's an idiot).
@glords (2614)
• United States
21 Jun 09
My son is really good with his sitters, but he is only two. Perhaps when he gets older he will try to push their buttons. It seems the sitters just spoil him rotten right now, taking him to the Park or out for french fries. I don't mind them spoiling him, but I guess when he gets older he may come to expect that sort of thing which would be bad, I guess I better put my foot down.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
21 Jun 09
We never had sitters when the children were small. We did have some help in the house and this lady would keep them for a few hours if we just had to get out so I suppose in a way she was a sitter. I think that your children were probably testing their GM to see how far they could go with her before she put her foot down. This could be possible. It would depend on your sister's age before you left them with her and whetther she is capable of taking care of them. You would not want to leave and be worrying about them all the time.
@jules2653 (74)
• United States
22 Jun 09
Normally, the kids behave for my parents. Kids are not always going to have good days. Maybe they were just testing them. Kids always test substitutes in school. They want to test the boundaries.
