Having a family member babysit your children is a great idea in most cases. There may be times that you might feel it is better to hire someone outside of the family though. The best way to decide when it is a good idea and when it is simply asking for trouble is to assess the pros and cons of any situation that could arise.
Using a little common sense when it comes to family is your best bet. You know your family better than most outside people. You know what they will tolerate and where they will draw the line. You also know if they are reliable or not. Here are some things to consider when you are thinking about asking a family member to watch your little tykes:
Reliability
One of the most important things that we look for in any babysitter is their reliability. Can you count on this family member to be there when they say they will? You will want to be assured that they will be looking after your children rather than talking on the phone all night. The worst case scenario is if they would have friends coming over to hang out with them. You always want to know who is around your children. That is why we hand pick sitters so carefully. You also don't want your house destroyed in the process.
Responsibility
A family member will generally be more responsible towards your children. There are never any guarantees, but a family member knows they have to be around you again. They will usually be extra careful in what they allow your children to do. They will know your standards and therefore be able to enforce them a little easier than someone that doesn't know you inside and out.
Do They Have Little Ones
The positive side of your family member that is sitting for you having children of their own is that your children will have someone to play with that they know well. The down side of it is that this person may be frazzled from a day with their own children. It might not be a wise decision to put them in a more frustrating position.
Taking Advantage
A source of ill-will in a family often comes from one person taking advantage of another person. This means that you could be asking for trouble if you ask a family member to babysit too often. Use family members only on occasion unless there is a clear understanding of what each person expects of the other. There is nothing worse than going to a family reunion when the family members are at each others throats.
Pay Scale
You may think that family members should be willing to babysit for free. This is okay if the grandparents are taking the kids to spend some time with them. It is not okay to expect pro-bono daily babysitting services from your family. If you do not have the money to pay daycare, it is possible to set up arrangements so that the "babysitter" doesn't feel like they are being dumped on.
Trade Off 1: The family member takes your kids for so many hours during the day. You return the favor by taking their kids for the same amount of time. This helps both of you out.
Trade Off 2: For family members that don't have children of their own, clean their house in return for babysitting services.
There are several other options that can help you avoid issues later. It is never good to have another family member upset with you. It's just not worth the savings.
Family members as babysitters can be a great thing. It can relieve much of the worry that we feel when we leave our little ones. You know that you can almost always count on a family member to take care of your kids that follows in line with how you are raising them. Just be sure that you don't take advantage of it too often.