Rules for babysitter - Page 2

[BethSLP]

OK, I am really surprised at everyone's reaction about the TV content. This baby is 10 months old. Not 3. Weeds or Barney makes no difference IMO. My son is exactly 10 months old right now, and he doesn't understand what is happening on WEEDS. Regardless the baby was ASLEEP. I think it is very much micromanaging to tell a babysitter not to watch TV when the baby is asleep.

That said, if she did say they watched TV together that is different and I would remind her that you are not OK with that. But MTV or Weeds seems like a silly sticking point. The research against TV for babies has to do with flashing lights and fast moving images. No 10 month old is going to learn foul language from WEEDS (and I'm a speech pathologist so I can say that ).

XOXO
B

[Tofu the Geek]

Sounds like to me in the Weeds instance, that she turned the show on after your daughter was asleep. In which case, she thought she was following the rule because your DD was not watching T.V.

In the MTV instance, it's possible she decided to put on some background music (MTV) while your DD fell asleep. She didn't think she was breaking the rule because your DD wasn't watching TV, but falling asleep to the music. She might not realize you don't want your DD listening to the music on MTV.

You need to be more clear with your rule, either tell her that you don't want the TV on AT ALL when she is sitting for DD, or tell her that you don't want the TV on at all while DD is awake.

Does the sitter have access to a CD player? If she's finding the baby falls asleep to music, it would be nice if she had somewhere to play music. You could even bring some CD's so she isn't playing music that you don't want DD listening to.

[r&mmommy]

Originally Posted by GoestoShow

For crying out loud! She's a COLLEGE STUDENT, not a certified daycare provider. She OCCASIONALLY babysits. It's not even a regular arrangement. Maybe she's mostly used to babysitting older children or children for whom tv isn't a forbidden object. Who knows?

Yes, of course, she should be listening to the parents and she isn't, and that's a problem that does need to be addressed. But to call the sitter "clueless" on nothing BUT this is a little absurd. I was clueless on a lot of things regarding babies until I had one of my own --- and I grew up with babies around. There was one to four babies born in my family every year of my life until I was about 15. I had a lot of experience with babies. But there was a lot I never could have imagined even with all that experience. Sheesh.

We'll have to agree to disagree, then.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

And what is the sitter to do in someone else's house while the baby is sleeping? Honestly, watching tv seems pretty reasonable to me.

Our mother's helper brings a book. or studies. Neither affect my child the way that having the tv on does (noise wakes him up, causing more work for the mother's helper. She asked us to keep it down a few times!)

[Purple*Lotus]

I am sorry OP, I missed the part where you said your child is watched somewhere outside of your home.

I babysit sometimes, and I always follow the parent's requests. If they tell me I can watch TV after the kids are sleeping, I sometimes will, with the volume turned down low enough that I am certain the kids wont hear it if they wake up. I don't see it as an unreasonable request. I tend to watch kids from my church, so the family usually has stricter rules for TV/music than maybe more mainstream people do. I generally get a long list of things the kids can't do or be exposed to. For me, it is all about repecting the parent's wishes. If I know they are against certain TV shows, I wont go out of my way to watch them. I always bring a book instead.