Our girls are now 17 months old and for the past year I have found that the cheapest babysitting around is at my local gym! We currently attend LA Fitness and childcare is $10 per child, for 2 hours a day, and an unlimited amount of days per month! We have twins and for $20 a month I can go to the gym everyday! Now that we've moved to 1 nap a day we still have a cranky period from 9:30am - 11:30am. This is the PERFECT time for me to scoop up the girls and drive down the street to the gym! I now have a personal trainer that is still helping me work-off this baby weight but its the BEST break for us all! The girls LOVE playing with their new friends in the childcare room with the new toys and climbing play set with slide. This way since I'm a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) they get to interact with other kids, interact with other adults, learn to spend some time away from both their parents, and best of all I get a work-out in! The girls do get a few more colds than they otherwise would have if we stayed home but the benefits of my sanity out weigh the cost of a few more sniffles! Plus the Dr said when the girls start walking no matter what time of year it is its the "First Walking Winter" since now that they are walking they are going to pick-up new germs anywhere. We were told if they pickup the germs now their immune systems will start to build-up and we'll have to battle less colds as they start school. Overall, its a win/win for everyone! One day a week I do just ride the bike and check my email on my phone or read a book to relax. The rest I'm lifting weights with my trainer and some awesome new work-out friends I've met, doing cardio, or joining a fitness class.
If you do go work-out at the local gym I do advise to bring your towel and a change of clothes. I take 15 minutes after each work-out to take a shower at the gym and put on the make-up before I head home. This way I don't have to get dressed while the girls are napping and I can eat lunch, relax, or blog. When the girls are napping...I want to do whatever I want to do...this continues to keep my sanity as a SAHM.
Check-out your local gym to see if they have a child-care program that will work for you! In our area, LA Fitness is $10 per kid/month. Gold's Gym was $10 for the 1st kid/month then $5 for any additional kids!
Tell your Husband that the local gym membership sure beats paying an actual babysitter $12/hour for 3 hours a day as you drive to the gym, work-out, and drive back per day!
{($12 x 3hrs) x 5days a week} = $180 per week!!
