I Am Not Criticizing

[TWR]

Was it the in thing years ago that your parents babysat whilst you were working? or is it a 20 century thing.

[EcclesCake]

I never knew my grandparents but I de recall friends from school going to the grandparents after school. With hindsight I'd imagine at was babysitting rather than a social call.

[naomi24]

Women didn't work much before the 20th century, so families didn't need babysitters.

[sandyRoe]

Does housework not count as work? :-)

[mccfluff]

i didn't go to my grandparents, they were a little too far away but we used to have a lady pick us up from school and we would stay at her's until mum finished working

its the norm now for both parents to be working, rather than a stay at home mum

if i was a mother i would have to have some kind of childcare arrangement

[ummmm]

My mum worked for my grand parents so I was always with them. My mum played for the pool and darts team so I'd stay over on them nights (mum didn't drink) and nan always had us one night on our own.

My mum looked after my daughter when I went back to work.

It's the 21st century.

[naomi24]

Yes, indeed it does, but it's been proven that vacuuming the carpet can be achieved to a satisfactory standard with a baby clutched to the hip and a toddler running around the feet!

[naomi24]

^^That was to SandyRoe.

[FredPuli43]

Yes, it was. They were called 'grandparents' in those days and lived close by. Now, often enough, they don't live nearby but grandparents still do the job when available; something do with being in a family, I expect.

But 'babysitter' is something quite new; the French, who have been slower to feel the need for such a person, don't have a word for it.

[andres]

In the 50s in our area we had lots of mills and factories and most grandparents worked long ,hard days. But you always had the support of your neighbours and in most streets there would be a lady willing to child mind .This was before people had to be vetted before looking after children. In my case ,it cost me £1.50 weekly (bear in mind the average wage was between £3.50-£5.50 A week. Later on in the 60s there was the nursery (free but only part time places so as to accommodate the growing numbers of working mums).Then later on ,for child number five ,my dad was not working so he stepped in whilst I did a part-time job.Those were good and happy days. Now because childcare costs are so high ,I think more and more young parents are turning to grandparents for babycare whilst they go out to work.

[Baldric]

Is this not the 21st century?

[hc4361]

Lots of grandparents are working full time themselves.

When I was a child many of my friends were 'nanny reared'; others were latchkey kids fending for themselves until mum or dad got home from work.

No different today, really. Some grandparents are very involved with their grandchildren on a daily basis, others are more remote.

[Sparkles62]

I think that us parents and grandparents just help where we can,
I've always done whatever I can to help with all my grandchildren,
I've not always been available for every situation, but have enjoyed all the ones that i am available for.
This has also meant that I am very very close to my grandchildren, which is lovely.

[ummmm]

That's what I said, Baldric :-)

[woofgang]

My grandmother certainly had me at her house before I was school age and during the school holidays. I don't think my Mum worked then (although she did when I was older but i guess it would have been to make things like shopping easier because it was all busses then and then carrying the shopping for the last 15 to 20 minutes walk. Different shops were in different directions too, so if you needed (say) food and to visit a chemist then that would be a bus journey in one direction then back again, past the bus stop where you first got on and off again in the other direction, not forgetting the walk to and from the bus stop.

[coccinelle]

Personally, i wouldn't call looking after children while the parents are at work 'baby-sitting' it's more child minding. For me baby-sitting is looking after children for a night or a couple of hours in the day as the couple are going out or have an appointment.
While I was growing up I was baby-sat occasionally but as my mother only worked part-time once we were all at secondary school she didn't need a child minder. What surprises me nowadays is that some children expect their parents to child mind because they're retired; this can cause a strain on some families. I give lessons to retired people and when it comes to holiday time (different zones have different holidays in France) they can't attend as they're looking after grandchildren. They often grumble too about being called on to take their grand children to doctor's etc at last minute. They daren't say too much and very often book a holiday just to get away!!!