When my daughter was born, I thought the only answer to meeting deadlines was to hire a babysitter and then escape to a coffee shop with free wifi.
The only problem with that was, depending on what I got done during those few hours and how much time I would have to spend driving to and from the coffee shop, it could sometimes result in just breaking even. Babysitters aren’t exactly cheap!
Then there was the stress of wondering how she was doing, if everything was okay, etc. Totally normal, but sometimes distracting.
On one of the message boards I used to visit, someone mentioned hiring a mommy’s helper. Brilliant. Here’s why:
You stay home, but you’re not in charge of doing everything for your child (resist the urge!), so while someone else’s kid entertains your kid, you’re able to get work done, and from the happy sounds coming from another room, you know your child is just fine and having a great time.
Because the mommy’s helper is doing less and will have you there for back-up, you might be able to save a few dollars per hour.
You’ll finish more work in less time because you’ll be able to focus; then you can use the spare time the mommy’s helper is there to rest up and get ready to go to the park, run errands, or whatever you need to do once you send her home.
You’re offering valuable “babysitting training” for the young teen (or pre-teen, if you’re comfortable), so when she is ready to babysit and you need to get away for a date or just a little more sanity, you have one lined up that you and your child are already comfortable with. She’ll also be able to use you as a reference if she ever wants to babysit for other families.
Photo credit: thejbird
