Need for good babysitters
Does anyone know a good dentist?
OK. Wait. Let me rephrase that. Does anyone know of a good dentist who actually works on a Friday or Saturday?
I can’t seem to find one in my neck of the woods who works those late days in the week.
My bi-yearly cleaning is coming up and I am dreading the visit. Not because of the potential pain involved. It is because I have a hard time finding a babysitter Mondays through Thursdays.
My quest for a new dentist began shortly after my last cleaning visit. The technician was giving me attitude about not coming in for about a year and a half. (I had my second child in that time frame).
The conversation went something like this.
Technician: “You really need to come in every six months for at least a cleaning.”
Me: “But you guys are only open Monday through Thursday. I only have a babysitter on Fridays.”
Technician: “Well you need to figure something out because you need to come in.”
I decided to stop arguing with the lady who had the sharp tools in my mouth because I knew I wasn’t going to change her mind.
Obviously, this technician did not have kids and knew nothing about trying to find a babysitter, especially for young kids.
A similar situation happened at a previous employer when I worked outside the home. I was told I had to work a late shift to cover for an individual who was on vacation.
My daycare closed at 6 p.m. and my husband usually got home around 8 or 9 p.m. I wasn’t allowed to bring my child into work.
I was pretty much told to just figure out something because I was not going to get out of doing a late shift.
You can’t just leave your kids with anyone. I’ve written and read too many crime stories about horrible babysitters. You have to fully trust the individual and your children have to like them.
There are three categories of people when I think of baby sitting: the people I would trust, the ones who I could count on, but are not physically able to keep up with my kids, and the people I would not allow to watch the rocks in front of my house.
My in-laws are the only people I can consistently count on to watch my kids. I try to be conscientious about how often I ask them. They have busy lives and I only have them watch the kids for work or medical related items.
Due to increased work commitments, a relative also recently agreed to watch the kids for a fee. I’m going to try and only use her a couple hours a week because babysitters today don’t come cheap. Money is very tight right now and I can’t use her often.
A teeth cleaning is not high on the priority list right now but I know I need to go. If I could go on a Saturday, my husband could watch the kids.
Any ideas?
— Gina Gallucci-White writes from Frederick, Md.
