Just last week, I made the decision to participate in a childminding program. This program, according to their promotional materials, hires only expert, engaging, and well-educated caretakers. They had received good reviews and I had successfully worked with sitters from this agency in the past.
Today, my experience left me a bit uneasy. I had hired a babysitter for a four-hour span to look after my three-month-old baby while I was out attending to some chores. When I got back, I found my baby in his rocker. The babysitter mentioned that he had just come out of a short nap. I expressed my thanks, but her comment left an odd feeling within me. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d let my baby nap in the rocker. It’s worth mentioning here that I have a security camera system installed in my living room. It’s not concealed and everyone is aware of it. So, I decided to review the footage of the day.
This is what I found:
- My baby had slept twice in the rocker. I was puzzled, as I had specifically instructed the babysitter to let him sleep while in contact with her or to place him in his cradle once he fell asleep. He isn’t used to sleeping independently yet, which makes the rocker an unsafe option.
- There were multiple instances where the babysitter let the baby stay in the rocker while she sat on the sofa for more than 15 minutes. The rocker was positioned such that her back was towards it.
- Throughout the four-hour duration, the babysitter was almost constantly on her phone. She hardly interacted with my baby, even though I had shown her where all his toys and books were kept.
- Once, my baby seemed agitated for a prolonged period. The sitter did not intervene. Eventually, I discovered that my baby had messed his diaper and had been sitting in it for about 15 minutes. This had caused a mess on my sofa. I had specifically told the sitter to place a blanket on the sofa if she was to place the baby there. She hadn’t done so.
The same babysitter is expected to come by and look after my baby in a couple of days. I’m not quite sure I want her to, though. Simultaneously, I’m dealing with postpartum anxiety. I can’t help but wonder if I might be blowing things out of proportion or if I’m expecting too much from a babysitter. After all, the safety of my baby is paramount, and he is safe. I’m considering asking her not to repeat these actions the next time she babysits instead of canceling her services or requesting a different babysitter.
I would greatly appreciate a second opinion. Am I overreacting?