Need A Date Night? 5 Budget-Friendly Babysitting Options
We all love our kids, but in order to maintain a happy (and sane) relationship with the little angels, parents need an occasional night out on the town. Sans children. Preferably with alcohol.
Unfortunately, skyrocketing neighborhood rents, plus the general cost of city living, have babysitters charging a pretty penny for their services — leaving many couples unable to afford that precious alone time.
According to a recent Urban Sitter survey, New York City ranked as one of the highest in the country (just behind San Francisco) when it comes to babysitting rates.
On average, parents pay $15.51 an hour for one child, $17.29 an hour for two children, and $18.62 an hour for three children.
Ouch.
Thankfully, budget conscious families don’t have to write off those date nights yet. We’ve put together five ways that moms and dads can get out the door without paying for a babysitter.
1. Turn Your Date Night Into A Date Day
If you have some vacation time at work, plan a day off while the kids are in school or camp. We recently took the 10am ferry to Governors Island on a Friday, and it was almost like having the entire place to ourselves. Best of all, Blazing Saddles offers a free one-hour bike rental every weekday between 10am and 12pm, which is plenty of time to explore the island on wheels with your love. Bring a picnic, or nosh on some of the incredible food there on the island, and then head back home before the kids hop off the afternoon bus.
2. Swap Date Nights With A Friend
Chances are, you’re not the only one in your friend circle struggling to pay for date nights. Talk to some mom or dad friends to see if they would be interested in starting a babysitting exchange. About once a month, we drop our son off with a friend across the street, and head out for dinner. The next weekend, we watch our friend’s son. Parents get a night out, and the kids get a playdate. It’s a win-win!
3. Barter
Do your friendly upstairs neighbors need vacation pet sitters, or somebody to take care of their plants? Even if they don’t have kids for a date night swap, there may be other ways that you could help them out, in exchange for a few hours away.
4. Draft Grandma And Grandpa
Have your parents been looking for a little extra time with the grandkids? Make it happen! The munchkins will be spoiled rotten, and if you’re lucky, you might even get an entire night (or two) away.
5. The After-Bedtime Date
It definitely takes a little more work, but it is possible to get that quality alone time at home. On most nights, our son is asleep by 7:30pm, so my husband and I will sometimes eat dinner after he goes to bed. Cook something special together, turn off the screens, pour a glass of wine, and catch up on talk that doesn’t include Daniel Tiger or the Rescue Bots.
How have you gotten creative with childcare? Share your ideas in the comments below.
About the author: Christine Bush is a freelance writer for the hyperlocal website, South Slope News, and is proudly recognized as one of the geekiest parents in Brooklyn. She occasionally pretends to be cool by playing around on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr, but knows she’s not fooling anyone.