Does your babysitter cosleep your kids to bed?

[HappyMommy2]

.... Or ... How does your babysitter put the kids to bed?

My kids are 3 and almost-5. We have recently transitioned to no-naps, and have an earlier bedtime: 7:30.

4 months ago we finally found an awesome babysitter that we trust. We go out once every two weeks from 5-9:30. We had about 2 dates in the whole 4 years prior to finding her!

This date night is essential to my marriage, and my kids are old enough to deal, so I don't want any advice about not leaving the kids.

I need to figure out how what to tell the babysitter. She isn't an aunty or a granny ... so I feel a little weird asking her to lay down with them.

I always lay down with them, and 95% of the time, I fall asleep too. (I am pg). Ds is usually out by about 7:45 but it takes DD another 20 minutes or so after that.

In the past, the kids just stayed up watching a movie in our bed until we came home at 9:30.

Thanks mamas!

[basje]

I perfer that anyone babysitting co-sleep my LO down, as it is the only way she goes down and stays asleep. She is eight months old and I have a very close relationship with her babysitter who I feel comfortable asking to do this. Mostly when I get home they are sleeping together (I tend to try and go out late so that she will have had her night nursing already).

Think about what you feel comfortable with and then talk to the sitter and find out what she's comfortable with. I think the more honest the conversation the more likely your babysitter will be honest with you. Something like, "I wasn't sure if this was weird to talk to you about, I co-sleep with my kids at night and I am not sure how you feel about laying down with them until they are asleep. How do you feel about that?"

As a babysitter myself for years I found co-sleeping was nice, usually as a high school or college student I was pretty wiped out myself.

[CherryBombMama]

i layed down with a three year old girl that i babysat for. the parents told me she liked that, but that if i wasnt comfortable or if it just wasnt working, to go ahead and let her stay up.

everything worked out, and i think the girl felt comforted by my presence

[weasleyx]

I'm a babysitter and I would have no problem with your request. In fact, I've done it occasionally with kids I've watched anyways, whether because they don't feel very good/ are scared of 'monsters' /are too riled up and need to settle down, etc. And I would agree that in fact it is quite nice and peaceful and I do not mind in the slightest! All you can do is ask, but I wouldn't think it would be a huge issue.
OTOH, if your babysitter isn't comfortable with the idea, I think your kids are old enough to understand if you prep them before hand with the idea and let them know that when the babysitter comes, they go to bed by themselves but Mommy and Daddy will come into bed / give them a hug/kiss when they come home (or whatever) and while they may not *love* it, they would probably get used to the situation and be okay with it eventually.

[Squeakster]

I only did a little babysitting, mostly for my teacher's kids, and I would lay down with the kids when they wouldn't settle. Sometimes in their bed, sometimes on the floor between the two beds. I don't know how they were normally put to sleep, but I just did what seemed right and what worked. This is a family that didn't have a TV so you had to be an involved sitter. So I don't think it is weird, I might say something like "would you lay w/my kids until they fall asleep?" instead of "co-sleeping". If something is easy and works I am sure a babysitter would like to know.

[mommariffic]

Yep! We have been using the same amazing babysitter for awhile and she has literally helped me raise both my kiddos and loves them/cherishes them the same as I do. So I l;love that if I wanna see a movie, or do a bookstore run I can trust her to get both kids in bed. She lays with them and gives bottles or whatever sings/etc. I think it's no big deal! She has even offered to stay overnight with the babe [sleep with him] so I can get a full nights sleep but we are sooo not there yet!