[Vocabulary] Babysitter

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Mannysteps

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Reading a thread I came accross "babysitter". I know what it means but for some English learners it seems an odd word. Could the term derive from "sit up late" (stay awake) with the obvious purpose of caring for a child or children, in the absence of the parents?

M.
 
It's nothing to do with the time (up late), but they are sitting with the baby.
 
I don't mean to be crass, but your reply made me smile at the picture it evoked: a bleary-eyed someone sitting on a sofa with a sleeping baby in the arms till the early hours of the morning. :) I know what you mean, though, and my serious thanks for the reply.

M.
 
We also have dogsitters, house-sitters and granny-sitters these days; probably other -sitters too.
 
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Thank you. The back formation is interesting and:"...the action of the caretaker "sitting on" the baby in one room, while the parents were entertaining or busy in another.", makes me think once more about what "on" essentially means, here I suppose continuity as in "waiting on". A bit confusing for a begginer. In all, although modernly taken as caring for very young children at night, it has much wider implications: "from watching a sleeping child, to playing games, preparing meals, teaching the child to read, or even driving." Live and learn...

Regards,

M
 
Any child old enough to be taught to drive would rebel openly and loudly at the idea of having a babysitter.
 
It's not only at night. When my wife was working, we would have the grandparents babysit our daughter. This was during the day.
 
One of my pet peeves: When a father says he's "babysitting" while his wife does something else. Is it only the mother's job to take care of the children, and when you do it, you're doing her some kind of giant favor by freeing her up? Excuse me, but I think you're being a father!
 
Follow the link supplied by birdeen's call. I respectfully did, but it is apparently invalid, in your opinion.
 
Mannysteps said:
Follow the link supplied by birdeen's call. I respectfully did, but it is apparently invalid, in your opinion.
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Who are you talking to?
 
Barb_D said:
Any child old enough to be taught to drive would rebel openly and loudly at the idea of having a babysitter.
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To Barb_D about the above quote. Your post didn't specify to whom it was addressed either, but it wasn't hard for me to guess by just following the flow.
 
Barb_D said:
One of my pet peeves: When a father says he's "babysitting" while his wife does something else. Is it only the mother's job to take care of the children, and when you do it, you're doing her some kind of giant favor by freeing her up? Excuse me, but I think you're being a father!
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There are undoubtedly some fathers who are crass about this sort of thing, but I think you may have misunderstood how some of us used the word.

I did indeed say to sailing friends that I could not join them because I was babysitting. I would also tell them on other occasions that I could join them as my wife was babysitting. My wife would say similar things.

For us, and for many people we knew babysitting was the word we used for taking care of/looking after/being solely responsible for our offspring. In your household you may have used the expression being a father/mother. People are different; we don't all have to use the same expressions to show the world that we are doing the right thing.
 
Funnily enough, my wife often suggested her "doing the baby sitting" to express that she didn't mind me going out with my friends in the evening.

M.
 
Hi I'm not a native speaker of English. Just a Chinese [...] who loves being a [...]. My comment to this is that I think the meaning of the word "Babysitter" is quite literal.

Instead of sitting with the baby, imo I believe that the person who's hired to be a babysitter makes the baby sit. Much like the two words "Lion tamer" they make the lions tamed.

hehe I'm a [...], sorry for this outburst.
 
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It's not so much of a joke Fishman. Travelling has always been a constant in my life and I've come accross a lot of people finding it funny, too. That was one of the reasons I started the thread. I knew it would call some attention.

M.
 
Fishman, thanks for your reply.

Coolie (old-fashioned, taboo) an offensive word for a worker in Eastern countries with no special skills or training.

I think you should not have used this word, especially when you are calling yourself with it. IMO.

Thanks, Alex.
 
Yes, people use the word differently.

However, I have honestly never heard someone say to a man who is out without his wife and children "Oh, is your wife home babysitting?" She's just with the kids. However, when a woman is out without her husband and children, they say "Oh, George is babysitting?"

And likewise, when "George" is out, it's very rare for the mother to say "I have to babysit while George is at his bowling league." She's just home (or out) with the kids. But when "Mary" is at choir practice, it's much more likely that George will say he has to "babysit." (Your story is the ONLY time I've ever heard a wife say she will babysit while her husband does something.)

So I concede that people will use the term to mean they are watching their own children, even when there are not sexist overtones about whose "job" it really is and who is just "helping out."

However, I maintain that a child old enough to be taught to drive does not have a babysitter!
 
BobK

At 16 you just aren't a baby nor a young child anymore. The term babysitter here is simply not applicable. I just thaught that you would find the link from which I quoted that of "teaching to drive" as amusing as I did. I certainly don't accept a lot of what is included as you most certainly will not. But, it is likely to bring a smile to your face.
 
I don't hear either parent use the word babysit when talking about watching their own kids. "The kids are with their dad/mom tonight. Mom's got the kids this weekend. Dad's watching the kids this Friday, ect." This applies to both split-up /non-split up couples.

I guess it is different everywhere.

Not a teacher.
Hey anyone want to babysit? My kids listen really well and are no work at all, honest...:lol:
 
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