If you’ve watched our latest vlogs, you are aware that our family has taken a lot of trips in the last few months, which isn’t a big surprise — it’s summer! But what you might not have realized is that when my wife and I travel with our kids, we always get a babysitter so that we can go on a date. And we would absolutely encourage you to do the same.
Now, I know some parents are thinking: “Are you crazy? I’m traveling with my kids and I don’t have five days to vet a babysitter and meet them and get references. And isn’t is bad parenting to leave our kids at a hotel while we go on a date?”
No, I’m not crazy. Booking a babysitter while on a family vacation is one of the best things you can do for your relationship. As we discuss in our newest vlog, when you’re on vacation, the kids have to be put to sleep by 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. Are you and your spouse just going to sit around and do nothing in the hotel all night? By booking a babysitter, you and your spouse have the opportunity to enjoy the city you are visiting as a couple, and one-on-one time is an important part in keeping your relationship strong and healthy.
Now, as for the question about finding a babysitter in another city — don’t worry! We have the answer: Sittercity. It’s an online babysitter booking service with full profiles of babysitters in all major cities in the U.S. We love that they are LGBTQ-friendly, pre-screen their babysitters, and have video profiles that we can view. They even have an amazing new service called, Chime — which pre-screens sitters of the highest quality in the city. You can even book and pay the sitter through the Chime app. Right now, Chime is in Boston, Chicago, NYC and Washington, DC, though if you live or travel to other cities in the U.S., you can always use Sittercity to find a great babysitter. Click here to sign up and get a $50 credit on Chime.
As for the question about getting a babysitter while on vacation and if that makes you a bad parent — it does not. Firstly, you as parents deserve time together and your vacation is as much for you as it is for your kids. It could be argued that a fun, relaxing date will allow you to be relaxed and happier during your vacation and would thus make you an even better parent to your kids. It does for us! And if you’re still worried about what your kids will think, book a babysitter to arrive after they’re asleep.
I could go on and on about how helpful babysitters have been for us during our vacation, but I think I’ll just leave our vlog below. We go very much in depth about this conversation — adding a few hilarious stories or two! Be sure to subscribe for more videos and to sign up for the $50 Chime credit, here.
