Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in vancouver, CN

Hiring a Babysitter

July 06, 2009

One of the hardest things about having kids is trying to find a good reliable babysitter. There are only so many times that you feel comfortable asking your friends (especially without children) to sit for you. So how do you find a babysitter?

If you have family that lives close by, this is always a good resource to tap into. If we were living in Nova Scotia near our family we would be able to go out all the time. Don't just rely on grandparents, teenage cousins who need a little extra cash are also a good choice. I know that I made most of my spending money and clothes budget by babysitting for relatives, friends and neighbours. Offer to trade off babysitting with a sibling if they live close by.

Ask your daycare providers or preschool teachers if they babysit on the side. That way you can get a reliable and experienced adult with certifications like first aid. It turns out that both my son's preschool teachers babysit, and at a reasonable rate.

Start a babysitting exchange among your friends with children. If you are willing to work out a schedule then you can trade off free babysitting. This may take a little getting used to, but it may be something that can work.

There are also sites out like Canadian Sitter. This is an internet service that allows you (for a small fee) to put together and ad to find babysitters. Nannies on Call is another service worth looking into especially if you are looking for a more permanent situation. The women that run these sites are top notch and will provide excellent customer service.

Once you have found a sitter you like and trust the next step is to start setting up a regular date night. I think this may be about 4 months away for me as my infant will not take a bottle right now, but I have high hopes.

Time Out For Parents

May 26, 2009

To help keep a relationship healthy, or even just yourself healthy, sometimes you need a little time without the kids. Date night or a night out with friends can be just the ticket. So you have the babysitter lined up, what to do now? Well dinner and a movie is classic for a reason. The dinner gives you a chance to talk and the movie gives you a chance to veg out. So where are some good dinner and movie combinations now that Chianti's is gone?

Festival Cinemas is the group consisting of The Ridge, Park and Fifth Avenue theatres. This is a group that tends to show the artier films, but does show blockbusters as well. Fifth Avenue especially tends to be a more mature crowd of patrons, and is close to any number of good restaurants on 4^th Ave.

Scotia Bank Theatre is a stadium seating theatre on Burrard near Robson. Parking is terrible, but you will be able to watch the big blockbusters and catch dinner before or afterwards on Robson or even catch a quick cab ride down to Gastown.

Tinseltown on the edge of Chinatown is a good bet both for blockbusters and parking. You can park underground for free when you get your parking validated by the theatre. Also a quick walk or cab ride to Gastown.

There are a few reasonably priced restaurants near most of these cinemas. The Irish Heather seems to be a favourite among the twitter crowd in Vancouver, as well as Steamworks, both in Gastown. These are pub food types, and seem to go well with a movie. If you want closer to Scotia Bank theatre I recommend Shabusen. They have fantastic food, and depending you may want to skip the movie altogether. It is a good idea to make a reservation however so you are not disappointed.