Can you remember when your last date was?

Stop the press, Cherished Cherubs Babysitting agency is its seventeenth successful year of business, our amazing agency continues to grow.  Cherished Cherubs Babysitting is a well-established babysitting agency that operates across Perth and the South West region of Western Australia.  They have a team of screened, experienced babysitters that care for children at homes, hotels, creches, functions, weddings and more. 

Having a loving family is great. You can have them babysit your child whenever you have to go somewhere. But what about those people who don’t have this blessing? And even if some people do have caring family members, they live far away. What should those people do? Their best option is to get babysitting service. Finding someone trustworthy enough to leave your child all alone with is the hardest part. I’m sure you love your child more than anything is the world but no matter how loving of a parent you are, you will need a little time out. Parents are the unsung heroes who work 24/7 and don’t get a single day off. So spending a little time without your child will not make you selfish or a bad parent.

Whether you go by mum, mummy, mother or mamma we all have ONE thing in COMMON – we need a Tribe to raise a family and live in the twentieth century. 

The unsung hero is the modern mum who is expected to work like they don’t have children and mother like they don’t work.

Times have changed, the pressures we all face as parents can be insurmountable and at times simply too much.  I know first hand of trying to be superwoman, doing it all and having it all and learnt the hard way it comes at a cost.

I love the old cliché, you just need to make time for yourself.  “Sometimes there is no damn time left in the day and unless I am supposed to get up in the early hours of the morning, there is no more time in the day”.

I received a scoff the other day when I said we were part of the tourism industry. If only they realised how many families visit Perth, and how babysitting is an important part of their stay.

When travellers from regional areas, interstate or overseas visit Perth with their family, they rely on a trustworthy source to care for their children whilst they attend conferences, weddings or social events. Not only are they in a place where they often don’t know anyone, they are also in a different setting, often a different time zone, and sometimes a different culture.

Imagine this….

You are excited your pregnancy is progressing well, baby is due in a month’s time, your family are coming in a week from interstate to help out, all is going to plan, until…..

Your water’s break and you go into labour earlier than planned. Some quick thinking has to happen.  

Do you know when a hill turns into a mountain? Bit of an obscure question?

This is the question we pondered the other day, and on investigation found that although there is a rough guideline, there is no specific point where a hill can be classed as a mountain, and it often depends on what is around that hill/mountain.

In a similar way, when does one become classed as successful? What is the criteria to meet this outcome?

Mother’s Day is meant to be about children showing appreciation for their mother. I find that this sets families up for a day of expectations and sometimes disappointment. How often do the mum's end up feeling not so special (dependent on behaviours of those around them), or children don't get the reaction they were hoping for from their mum.  

So how about we change this idea of Mother's Day?

When parents separate it affects the entire family. Regardless of the adult issues, if the best interests of the children are the focus from both parents then that is the best outcome. 

How does Cherished Cherubs assist in these situations?

Jo is a single mum. She works full time to provide for her and her 11 year old daughter.  Her daughter has a condition that makes her hard to manage at times. Living in a housing complex brings additional constraints to consider with management. Jo has limited supports of family and friends around that listen or help her. 

What is it that sets Cherished Cherubs Babysitting apart from other babysitting options?

Why do families keep returning to Cherished Cherubs and large hotels and corporations keep using and recommending us?

I can sum that up in one word – Personalisation.

Ever noticed how a house with kids is never like the magazines? 

Are adverts for household furniture and haberdashery ever aimed at parents?

This is how they should sell household items to parents or future parents....

Throw the guilts away, stop justifying your need to be with your child all the time. Time away from your child is good not just for you, but also for them.  

Here are 5 reasons you should be calling the babysitter and walk out the door……

Date nights, they happen all the time when we are starting our relationship. As time goes and we begin our families, they tend to disappear. We have every intention that they will start up again, but do they? Are you having regular date nights?

What does it take to get the spice back in your relationship, how will you manage to go out and not feel guilty, or worry about the safety of your children?  Let’s do up a plan…

Do you have a partner, but they may not offer the support you need, or be home enough for what you need?

Do you have plenty of family around, but don't feel like you can call on them when you are feeling down or struggling?

Have you moved to a town where you really don't know many people, and none close enough to call on?

Do you have friends but they all have their own 'stuff' going on and you don't want to add to that?

Do you feel like you should be coping and able to do this parenting role and don't want to tell anyone else of your feelings?

Have you asked for help but don't want to keep asking?

You have had your first child, you have all survived and learnt a lot along the way. Adding a second child shouldn't take as much adaption, or should it?

Sorry to those that had a hard time with their first child, but I breezed through the first year of my eldest child's life. Although 6 weeks prem, her development was spot on, she had good routines and a very placid nature. In fact I got bored and went back to study.

Can you remember the last holiday you had without your children? 

Was it pre-parenthood?

Do you think your relationship with your partner or friends may be stronger if you occasionally travelled together without kids?

Do you think your sense of self would be stronger and your self confidence would grow?

Would you be revitalised and stronger to go back into everyday life?

Would you be adding amazing experiences to your life?

What to fear when leaving your child?

Leaving your child with a ‘stranger’ is scary, and it should be.

The first day at daycare, a babysitter, a crèche, the first day at school, all times when you are essentially leaving your child with a stranger.

Children are natural adventurers, it is often the parent that drives the fear. Where does this fear come from? It is about what has been instilled in us in our upbringing. It is also about those around us that are happy to impose their views. Media loves to focus on negative stories. 

Do you know why they made babies so cute? They had to because they also made it so they need feeding every few hours, so we are totally sleep deprived. They need to be cute so we still feed, change and love them when we are running on empty.

Sleep, it is the most valuable commodity we can have. We can survive without many things, but a person without sleep, that is asking for trouble.

Did you know there is a thing called sleep hygiene? It is essentially good sleep habits…. Obviously not written for a mum of a newborn because here is what is suggests…

"We were smacked, and we turned out alright", I hear this often. Does it mean it is the only way of disciplining? Are we promoting smacking by smacking ourselves? How do we discipine without smacking?  

This week I read a great blog from a friend of mine and I could relate to so many of the things she was saying.  As such, instead or rehashing what she has aptly written, I would like you to read Kat's blog. Hope you find it food for thought.