Entrepreneur Moms - Should You Hire a Babysitter?

The decision to work at home is usually a second decision, which comes after being a stay at home mom. The decision to be a stay at home mom is a noble one, sacrificing income for the more important things in life: being there for your children.

It is wonderful to never worry about missing the first laugh, first steps, first words, first fall off a bicycle… and most stay at home moms swear they would never trade it for anything in the world. Yet the economy is very unjust to single income households. Women fought for the right to work, and we deserve that right but we are unfortunately expected to work.  

So a third decision needs to be made: should you consider hiring a babysitter? This can be a difficult decision to even consider, but asking the following questions will help develop some insight into the situation.

How well are you multitasking?

It is one thing to balance cleaning, cooking, and childcare. Yet being a successful business owner often takes priority over the cleaning and cooking. (Once you are successful, your spouse is more accepting of this and should be willing to help with those tasks.) The big question is: can you balance work with childcare?

Children do not yet understand work, or what you are doing on the computer and why it is important. After their first year, children are capable of keeping themselves entertained, for a certain amount of time. It is important to keep children confined into a safe play area, yet to also be able to keep an eye on them while you are working. This part is easy: you probably mastered it when first launching your business.

However, your children still need attention and on their schedule, not yours. Are you capable of providing attention to your children? If you find yourself the slightest bit annoyed about a child asking for attention, this is proof that you are not able to multitask your work with your child care. This does not make you a bad mom!

However, this does suggest that you should consider either rearranging your work schedule, if possible, or otherwise seeking a babysitter who is capable of providing undivided attention to your children while you work.

How successful are you?

A simpler version of this question: are you making enough money that you can afford to pay a babysitter? This will help you decide whether or not you can afford to prioritize giving your children the attention they need, when they need it, over work if you are not making enough money to afford to pay a babysitter. It is one thing to focus on work, but it is another thing to deprive your children of needed attention when you’re not making “that much”.

For this question, you should really sit down and put some deep thought into your finances and return to the perspective you held when first deciding to be a stay at home mom. What is more important?

How old are your children?

This is a very important factor to take into consideration. Older children are more independent, and if a child is in school, this is your time to work. If you are working longer hours than your child is in school, you should not be considering a babysitter. You should be considering revising your schedule, for your children and for yourself!

Younger children, on the other hand, are more demanding. A baby, when awake, can only entertain themselves for short periods of time. Toddlers can entertain themselves much longer, but even when they don’t ask for it they do need more interaction. (If you are sticking a toddler in front of cartoons for hours, it is a sure sign that you should hire a babysitter!)  

How do you really feel about hiring a babysitter?

This can be a very emotional decision, and only other work at home moms can really understand how difficult it is to make this decision. You chose to work at home because it was the best of both worlds: being a stay at home mom and having an income.

An entrepreneur mom may even be surprised herself at how successful she has became, and a “hobby on the side” has suddenly became a career. But women who have ever decided to stay at home have a maternal strength that other women don’t have… the willing to sacrifice everything for their children. So when a successful entrepreneur mom realizes that she is working and her children aren’t receiving the attention she vowed to give, it can be painful.

Exploring your options

If you do decide that hiring a babysitter is a smart decision, explore your options. Having a babysitter in your own home will give you the comfort of still being there with your children nearby (and being able to analyze your comfort level with the babysitter). However, this option will also mean that you are still there, and your children know you are there, and not understand why you aren’t available.

Sending your children to a daycare or to somebody else’s home is more expensive, but it will help you work clearly and without distraction, while your children will be having fun, playing actively and learning social skills in a new setting.

Choose the babysitting situation that works best for your budget, your comfort level, and your expectations.