Finding and managing child care as a parent was already a complicated endeavor. Adding the challenges of a global pandemic that results in closed daycares, remote schooling, and working from home is simply overwhelming.
The questions have flooded every parent’s mind: ‘Can we handle all of this ourselves?’ ‘Do we expand our socially distanced bubble?’ ‘How do we find someone we’re comfortable with?’ As with everything else in parenting, each family can research and get advice, but ultimately has to make the choices that are right for them.
Small business owner, Corrie, had to take into consideration not only the health of her business but also the health of her mom. “I needed a break—not just me, but my mom too…with everything that’s going on with COVID, we decided it’s best for our mom to stay home with our kids instead of helping out in the shop.”
However, relying on grandparents for full-time child care is rarely long-lasting. “She did a great job for a long time, but it was getting to be a bit much for her.” So she and her husband turned to Sittercity to find a sitter.
Corrie found the right sitter for their family fairly quickly, “I knew she was the right person for us because of how responsive she was and her answers during our interview. I loved how much she cared about her job, how accommodating, understanding, and professional she was. I thought that a lot of the experience she had would serve both her and my son well.”
But she’s not the only one—Heidi from Eugene, OR also found success on Sittercity. “I really recommend Sittercity. I’ve been telling people, whenever it comes up, that it’s really been a lifesaver for me—I’m a single mom. The whole process is set up so that I can trust the person that I hire.”
When Heidi’s son’s daycare closed, she knew she needed help with basic coverage, but eventually realized how empowering having a team to call on could be. “I’ve been giving myself permission to know what I need and having a babysitter come during the times I need to not be distracted by my son. It’s an investment I’m willing to make in getting what I need.”
Still not sure you’re ready to hire a sitter for your family? Corrie’s advice: “Do it as soon as you feel comfortable…it’s just making everything a bit more possible. Once you do it and once you experience what this kind of help can do for you, I think you’ll wish you had done it a lot sooner.”
There are so many pressures of being a parent—let alone a parent during a pandemic. You can’t give 100% to everyone at all times. So Heidi says, “if we can delegate some of that work and find someone we trust on a place like Sittercity, it will be worth the investment and will help you to be able to give your best to your kid when you do spend time with them.”
