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I couldn't imagine my wife bringing the kids to her hair appointment. I can't stand the smells of those places and think it is child abuse to have a kid sit in one of them. LOL
All kidding aside, I just can not stand the chemical smell. My wife does the entire treatment to and it takes time to get that all done. When my wife goes in she has a cut, color, and straightening her hair. It takes time to do all that. Just don't think it is a place for kids. Many places that do hair are open later. Or you can schedule a time that you are available. Best to do it when dad can watch the kids. That is how we have done it.
When we did, it was usually my mother (who lived just a few minutes away).
We simply scheduled things so as not to need one. My wife did not work, and this had the added benefit of depriving us of the extra money to go out together very often (and to pay for a sitter). Was this inconvenient? Yes. But doable. When we did things, we brought the kids with us. Obviously, there are things for which it is inappropriate to bring children. We just had to work around those things. Or do without them.
When you have kids, life suddenly gets very complicated and all-consuming. It's a wild ride, but worth it, and hopefully that ride gets less wild and more of a pleasure cruise with the passing of the years (as it has for us).
this is driving me crazy. i have a 2 year old and her mom wants to get her hair done. but the appt is when i go to work. so now my daughter has to wait in the stroller while mommy gets her hair done. i hate not having a sitter i can rely on. the area i live in doesnt have a lot of families in it and the condo has a lot more older people. daycare is very expensive. how do some of u get by without a babysitter? whenever we go out, its a must that she come with us. and usually i dont mind. but when its cold like this say 6 degrees and under. no one wants to take a baby out in this weather.
You arrange your appointments so as to not need a sitter. You also don't go out on "dates" with your spouse.
What about a stay-at-home-mom exchange? One mom comes over with her child and supervises a playdate, then reverse. Both moms get an hour or two break and the kids can play or at least play around each other. A free option.
I was in a similar set-up when my kids were little. It was called a babysitting co-op. The person leaving the child went to the sitter's house. We traded for points, not pay. We had an elaborate system. It was crazy, but it worked, and I got to know a lot of people.
I was not fortunate enough to have a mother, sister, sister-in-law or any such person living nearby. Nor did I want to spend all the time my husband was home going to appointments. I preferred to spend the time with him.
Hey, I saw that you mentioned you don't have a lot of families nearby, now I didn't go through the entire thread but have you tried putting up an ad? I have been called to babysit for numerous families- (college freshman) and I have braved the cold!
I suggest posting an ad on Care.com and Sittercity.com you can specify that you want them to have their own transportation, etc. Most profiles/users are happy to provide you with references and a lot of them have good ratings.
My ex wife and I both worked and raised our twin Sons without ever having a baby sitter or daycare. She is an RN and worked 11-7 so I took care of them during those hours. When she got home in the morning I left for work and she napped with them until mid day. Then she would be awake with them until I got home at 5, at which time she would take another nap until it was time to get ready for work again that night.
We did that for years, from the time right after they were born until they started school, and it worked out great. They got to spend time with each of us and weekends were when we all did things together. No, it wasn't easy, but it worked for us.
I will say that my sister's marriage almost ended over the no-babysitter policy. It was a decision they made together because they didn't trust others with their children. She ended up with the short end of the stick. Her husband was always going hunting, fishing, etc. She rarely did anything. They NEVER did anything together. When her husband found out she was ready for a divorce, he was devastated because he had no idea she wasn't happy. They got a babysitter and started going on dates together. This was a few years ago and they're very happy now.
My ex wife and I both worked and raised our twin Sons without ever having a baby sitter or daycare. She is an RN and worked 11-7 so I took care of them during those hours. When she got home in the morning I left for work and she napped with them until mid day. Then she would be awake with them until I got home at 5, at which time she would take another nap until it was time to get ready for work again that night.
We did that for years, from the time right after they were born until they started school, and it worked out great. They got to spend time with each of us and weekends were when we all did things together. No, it wasn't easy, but it worked for us.
You "took care of them" while they were sleeping, and your wife rarely slept!
I'd like to see you survive for years on two split naps per day. Your wife is a saint.
I will say that my sister's marriage almost ended over the no-babysitter policy. It was a decision they made together because they didn't trust others with their children. She ended up with the short end of the stick. Her husband was always going hunting, fishing, etc. She rarely did anything. They NEVER did anything together. When her husband found out she was ready for a divorce, he was devastated because he had no idea she wasn't happy. They got a babysitter and started going on dates together. This was a few years ago and they're very happy now.
I have to say, I agree with what your sister and DH are currently doing. That is what I was alluding to in an earlier post. When my kids were little, I preferred a babysitter for some things (appointments, etc) rather than scheduling them when DH was home to watch the kids. I was lucky I had that co-op so I didn't have to pay $ and I got another mom for a sitter. DH also worked far enough away that, unlike some of my friends' husbands, he couldn't come home for lunch or early or whatever so I could go somewhere.
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