In-laws left kids with sitter - ok or not?

[Anonymous]

Just curious about how others feel about this - my in laws took the kids for a few nights and it seems they left the kids with a sitter for a night to go out to dinner. Would you be okay with that or not? My husband looked pretty PO-ed when it came up last night and I'm curious about what other think.

[Anonymous]

I don't see why that's a problem. They had responsibility of the kids and they found a sitter to care for them when they needed it.

[Anonymous]

I would have wanted them to ask, but it doesn't seem like any harm was done.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be happy. Why did they have to go out for dinner? They couldn't stay home?

I like to approve my kid's sitters.
Don't watch my kids if you are going to pass the job off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be happy. Why did they have to go out for dinner? They couldn't stay home?

I like to approve my kid's sitters.
Don't watch my kids if you are going to pass the job off.

OP could have also stayed home, and watched her own kids instead of passing the job off to the inlaws.

[Anonymous]

I would be upset, but mostly because I've told my parents that when my kids are in their care, one of them always needs to be present. So it would also be an issue of them not respecting my wishes. Thankfully, my parents agree with this rule unequivocally.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem is with the ILs not communicating this, not that they left the kids with a sitter.

[Anonymous]

Was it just a couple of hours? Did they take the kids as a favor to you or was it a favor for them? Do they live close enough that you could have had the kids when they went out? Was it an event or just a random meal out for the two of them?

On principle, I'd probably be ok with it, but I'd be pissed they didn't clear it with you first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be happy. Why did they have to go out for dinner? They couldn't stay home?

I like to approve my kid's sitters.
Don't watch my kids if you are going to pass the job off.

OP could have also stayed home, and watched her own kids instead of passing the job off to the inlaws.

Maybe they asked to have the kids.

[Anonymous]

I would be okay with this, but I trust my parents and their judgement. They are not idiots, but intelligent and conscientious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious about how others feel about this - my in laws took the kids for a few nights and it seems they left the kids with a sitter for a night to go out to dinner. Would you be okay with that or not? My husband looked pretty PO-ed when it came up last night and I'm curious about what other think.

Wow. Entitled much?? Someone does you a favor and you're upset?

[Anonymous]

It depends on whether you trust your ILs to find a good babysitter, particularly if your children are very young.
Also, they absolutely should have notified you IN ADVANCE that they were going to do this. Accepting children into one's home isn't like accepting somebody's pet hamster.

So, yes, I would not be happy.

[Anonymous]

I need more information. Who's the sitter? Someone I know? How old are the kids? Mine are 6 and 8 and levelheaded enough to be watched by pretty much any mature teen or adult for a couple of hours. If they were babies / nonverbal I would be much less nonchalant.

[Anonymous]

Don't understand what is the big deal.

[Anonymous]

How many kids, ages, how long were they with IL's.

I have had my IL's watch my 2 boys when they were in ES for a week multiple times and I always plan a break for the ILs. Mostly it is during the day, a camp or something.