I See… Reverse Babysitting

You’ve heard of reverse mortgages- a financial tool that allows more elderly folks who own their own home to sell it back to the bank in stages and obtain a monthly supply of cash to cover their living expenses.  Well… what do you get when you mash-up this concept with an aspiring grandfather who is continually denied by Mormon Murphy’s law the privilege of working in the nursery?  I know the young women of the church won’t like this, but… Reverse Babysitting!

Here is how it works.  Aspiring grandparents, usually in their 40’s and 50’s, who are tired of waiting for grandkids of their own to spoil, or who live prohibitively far distances away from grandkids, offer to spend time with, or “babysit,” children in the ward while their parents visit the temple or partake in the prophet-recommended date night.  In return for the privilege of pretending that they actually have grandchildren, aspiring grandparents would pay the parents a token fee, say, something like two dollars per hour, with the requirement that the fee would have to be spent on enhancing the date night experience.

I’ve already started beta –testing a modified version of reverse babysitting and offered free babysitting services for carefully selected young couples who want to visit the temple together, or who just may need a break from their children.  Once the parents recover from fainting and realize that I’m serious about reverse babysitting, we set up a date.  So far all the feedback has been positive, so it’s time to take it to the next level and start paying parents. 

The only drawback is the inevitable outcry that will surely emanate from the unofficial union of YW babysitters. Some rely heavily on babysitting income to support their accessories addiction at the Claire’s Accessories Emporium in the mall; others however, with President Monson’s most recent announcement, are probably saving for a mission. It’s a moral dilemma of personal proportions. Normally, missionary work takes precedence over everything else, but the rights of aspiring grandfathers are virtually ignored in today’s church culture.  What to do?