Comments on: Admitting I hired a Mother’s Helper

By: Cara

Cara — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 05:18:17 +0000

I wouldn’t want a mother’s helper, and I turned down an insanely high salary to be one when we lived in Texas and took half the pay to be a nanny for a single mom instead — it just isn’t my style, as I prefer to be in my own space and not sharing it with someone else.
BUT I totally get why moms would want one, and gosh, we shouldn’t be judgmental of those who have one, that’s for sure! Whatever you need to do to get through the day without losing your mind, it’s worth it! And if that means paying someone to hold your baby while you make dinner, by all means, pay someone to hold your baby:)

By: Thank you for existing, Urban Sitter!

Thank you for existing, Urban Sitter! — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:07:45 +0000

[...] are more than 150 active sitters near me in the system; Heather used it to find a reliable mother’s helper that assisted her family after the birth of their third child, including cooking, picking up [...]

By: RookieMom Heather

RookieMom Heather — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:41:40 +0000

@Ashwini,
As I mentioned I tried all the places that I could think of: friends, my preschool, Berkeley Parents Network, Facebook, Bananas, Care.com, and Urban Sitter before finding her on Urban Sitter.

It all depends on where you live. Is there a childcare referral service you could use? Otherwise Care.com, SitterCity.com, and UrbanSitter.com have various degrees of penetration in different markets and would be worth a try. Do you have friends or neighbors with older children that you might trust? Or perhaps a nearby university?

And then the rate will depend on many factors: your market, the sitter’s age and experience being the biggest.

By: Ashwini

Ashwini — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 05:47:53 +0000

Hi. Great article. My LO is 6 months old and I am thinking of working from home for the next year. I was thinking of hiring a mother’s helper ( if it would not be extremely expensive) but I have no clue how much to pay them or how to find a good one. Can anyone suggest some good resources or what the going rate is so that I can make a sound decision ?

By: Rachael

Rachael — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:01:46 +0000

I AM a mother’s helper! Nanny/in home carer/mother’s helper… something like that. As an 18yr old studying an education degree, I love getting to work closely with a family and develop skills pertinent to my future work with small kids and their families. The family I work with have 5 kids – 5yr old boy, 2yr old boy and 9mth old triplets! Every day is an adventure – I mean, I work full days and pick up house and run around after small people! I’m pretty much another Mum! But the exhaustion is outweighed by how much I love it…
(So, just a note to mums – remember we are people too and get tired just like you! I love your kids but sometimes I’ll have an off day and the big boy might be just naughty and I might lose my cool for a second and tell him to get out of the room. Thanks for understanding and giving me grace. I love you for that and give you the same!)

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:46:01 +0000

We had a mother’s helper for a few months when my twins were infants. She nearly saved my life! I was so overwhelmed and exhausted. We put an add in the paper and were completely amazed by how many responses we got. We ended up hiring a preschool teacher to come for a few hours each day. She helped me with my two colicky babes. I think she was sent straight from heaven.

By: I love my helper…. « maidentomotherhood

I love my helper…. « maidentomotherhood — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:09:47 +0000

[...] Admitting I hired a Mother’s Helper (rookiemoms.com) Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailPinterestLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:09:34 +0000

Oh and totally agree with Lisa on us being hard on each other and it taking a village!!!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:05:12 +0000

Even SAHMs need a mother’s helper especially when you don’t have family close by…right now I don’t but trust me it crosses my mind a lot more as he gets older and more mobile (now 8 1/2 months) so I can spend quality time with my little one without worrying about cooking and cleaning! Maybe not now but will keep in mind when next baby comes along especially in the beginning…1st 3-4 months (even hubby agrees with this)!!

By: tanyetta

tanyetta — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:07:16 +0000

I need a mother’s helper! This is a great post and I am on my way to gaining some sanity! . A mother’s helper at least twice a week would be perfect!!!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:40:17 +0000

I *just* hired a neighbor-highs school aged girl to be a mother’s helper for me, specifically so that I can get dinner ready in peace (10 m.o. and almost-4 y.o.). We are living in Croatia for six months (but are usually in SF), so here I have been totally alone, without my wonderful, reliable, awesome sitter at home. And the mother’s helper here? Love it.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:20:30 +0000

Having a mother’s helper sounds like a godsend. I have an 8-year-old with special needs and 5-year-old twins. Our neighbor’s daughter across the street (who is 12, I think) has expressed interest in helping me out, but I have no idea on how much to pay her. Can you gals help me out here? I don’t want to over-pay her, but I certainly don’t want to under-pay her. Thanks for any suggestions!