Work-at-Home Moms – Tips for Summer Child Care

Whether you’re single or married or in a domestic partnership, being a work-at-home mom means you will need some kind of child care in the summer. You might think you can be Superwoman and juggle your at-home job with your kids around, but you’ll probably find it just isn’t that easy.

Even if your kids are able to entertain themselves for a lot of the day, having your kids at home involves a lot more than entertainment. There are falls, accidents, messes, arguments, meals to cook, and other needs for your intervention during the day. And if you have a baby or toddler at home, the need for your intervention is almost constant!

So to concentrate on your work, you’ll need some help when school’s not in session. Here are some tips for summer child care for work-at-home moms.

How Many Hours Do You Need?

First, determine if you need 6-7 hours, 5 days a week of child care (this is the approximate time that they are in school). Depending on what you do for a living, you might be able to tighten things up, focus, and get the work you need done if your children are watched a few hours a day, or for 2 or 3 full days a week. Also, if your job and income needs allow, maybe you can cut back on your workload for the summer.

So get out a calendar and take stock of what your hourly needs are during the week.

Mother’s Helpers

A mother’s helper is usually less expensive than a babysitter, because a mother’s helper comes into your home and helps with your kids while you are there. Therefore, their responsibilities are less extensive. But a trusted mother’s helper who is old enough to drive can take your kids on outings, such as for a walk or out for ice cream.

You can often find a mother’s helper among college or high school students who need a job for the summer. Check with friends and family for candidates, and find out how much you’ll need to pay and how many hours you’ll need their help.

Summer Camps and Workshops

Summer camps and workshops encompass a lot of activities. Here are some of the possibilities.

* Overnight camps usually last anywhere from a week to a month. A lot of them are outdoors-oriented, such as camping, hiking, backpacking, staying in tents or cabins, and so forth.

* Day camps are usually a week or two long, especially if they last the whole day. They may have a specialty, such as music, dancing, art, or science. They may be indoors or out, all day or half a day.

* Workshops where you can drop your kids off are like day camps, but perhaps shorter in duration. Find out if other children’s parents are willing to carpool with you so that you can save driving time to the workshop. For workshops where your presence is required (or if your child isn’t ready for you to leave him or her), maybe you can bring your work along and sit off to the side.

For many work-at-home moms, a combination of these options works best. Toggling these options keeps kids interested and helps prevent boredom, and it can also save you money.