Mother in law fell with our child?

Question

My wife and I went on our monthly date night and we alternate babysitters between my family and hers.  Her mom came over to our house and was carrying our 11 month old daughter, tripped over our baby gate, and fell to the ground with her.  She said she protected her head on the way down, but the next morning our daughter cried every time she tried drinking.  We spent part of the day at the hospital to find out it was an ear infection and the timing was just a coincidence.

My wife and I are realizing that our parents aren't that reliable.  Her mom is getting too physically frail and is a bit careless.  She let our daughter fall off the couch twice before by leaving her during naps.  My parents don't feed her enough healthy food and my mom won't put her to bed because she wants to watch her to make sure she's breathing.  My question is:  do we lay down the law to my parents and say here are the rules if you want to babysit?  Or do we find another sitter and offend our parents?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

although it maybe hard at first, they are your parents and they will forgive.you need to find a new babysitter.This may sound stupid but I am seventeen and a babysitter for over ten families, most because of your experience their families weren't doing the job right.Now I am not saying go out and find some young girl to watch your kids, but there are other options to be safer where hospital visits are less often.I know your parents will be okay, dont make it sound like its their fault, make it seem like you feel bad you guys make them watch your babies too much or even you want your baby to get accustomed to strangers a bit more.Their are ways to go about this.Good luck, tell me how it went if your up to it Missbryanna17@yahoo.com

india · Answer

Your parents keep the baby one night every other month and they're expected to remember all the rules?  I think you'll have to make sure the parents spend MORE time with the baby so they can learn the modern rules, as well as the house rules.

Babies fall.  My babies fell way more in my care than in anyone else's care.  Not that anyone else would take my babies for an hour, but still.  I think mom and MIL deserve the chance to watch baby if they want to.  If a babysitter came over, you would explain the routine to her in detail.  Why not with mom?  You'll have to compromise on some things to get your free childcare, but talk about the things on which you cannot compromise, like sleeping safety and how to put baby down to go over the gate.  You can easily compromise on a single night of junk food every two months and sleeping on grandma's chest for a few hours.

ihaveasexyhusband · Answer

You lay the laws down - after all you have to deal with your child 24/7 but she only has to deal with the consequences for a couple of hours. 

As for the falls, I'm sorry but these can happen to anybody.  My friend left her sister to baby sit and her daughter rolled of the sofa - her sister was in her early 20's. 

Insist that when your child is sleeping, she sleeps in her bed etc and not on the sofa.  As for her fear of your daughter not breathing, there's something here that needs to be addressed. 

KD

Anonymous · Answer

I'd definitely lay down the law with them. Its your child and at the end of the day you have the final say on how she is raised. :)

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Mother in law fell with our child?

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