As a working mother, how do you manage to take care of your baby? If you are looking for an option, you need to find out its credibility as it is all about the safety and security of your baby. Read on to know more about the options which working mothers can consider for taking care of their baby.Unlike olden days, family and career both are equally important for women today. However, she has to walk on a fine line of parenting when it is about taking care of a baby while working. Many of them also quit working to take care of their babies. But, for some women it is necessary to provide financial support to their families. As such they have to depend on others for taking care of their babies. Read on about the options which a working mother can consider for taking care of her baby.In this articleKeeping Nanny or Maid at HomeDay-cares, Creches and BabysittersTaking Relatives or Neighbours helpWorking from HomeKeeping Nanny or Maid at HomeKeeping nanny or maid at home for taking care of baby is one of the options which a working mother can consider. Nannies have a lot of experience taking care of babies and as such working mothers do not need to worry about things like bathing, diapering, feeding babies etc.However, your baby may need some time to adjust with the nanny. You can start working when your baby is able to adjust with the nanny or maid. On the other hand, you will also get time to understand the ability of nanny to take care of your baby and make sure that the baby is in safe hands. However, you should make sure that you find nanny or a maid from a credible source. Instead of taking help from agencies, take references from your trustworthy friends, relatives or neighbours. Here are some more things that you can keep in mind while finding a nanny or a maid for your little bundle of joy.Keep the Long-Term Requirements in MindWhile choosing a nanny don’t just think of the present needs of the baby which are limited to feeding and caregiving. Look for someone who can adjust according to the growing needs of your baby. Keep in mind that the nanny that you select is capable of growing with the baby. She should know how to handle other needs of the baby as well as take right care when the baby starts sitting, crawling, walking etc. She should be able to meet all the developmental requirements of the baby. She should have a hawk’s eye so that the baby is nurtured with utmost care. Always decide based on the requirement of the whole family as the person is not just going to be with the child but with the entire family. If you have friends who have been through this phase, you can ask them about the things that you should keep in mind while choosing a nanny. You can list down these things and use them while making your own list of requirements that you are seeking in the nanny for the child. Noting down such things is surely going to help you during the interview process.Interview the Nanny WellWhen the candidates are shortlisted, you must interview them well. Don’t just ask basic questions. Ask the questions that your nanny is not expecting. Focus on situational questions like “what would you do if my child falls” or “what would you do if my child gets locked in the room”. Such questions will give you a sense of how your nanny is going to handle emergencies.Apart from the questions you ask allow your nanny to interact with your child. You will get a chance to examine how well and quickly the nanny is able to get along with your child. You must also check how your child is reacting to her while the nanny is interacting with your child. If your child is getting along well with the nanny, you can ask her to revisit before confirming her job. When you ask for the revisit, you can pay her for the same. You will get a better idea of how your child gels with the nanny when she visits again before confirming her job.Do a Thorough Background CheckOnce you finalize a nanny make sure that you do a thorough background check. Check with the references about something that they don’t like about the nanny. Find out if she was regular to work and she did her work sincerely. If you find the references trustworthy you can do a proper background check to know if the nanny has any criminal record.Make an OfferAfter getting to know about the nanny, spending some time with her, interviewing her and doing a background check if you feel that the nanny is a perfect fit for you, you can make an offer. Before making an actual offer to nanny you must decide upon the pay based on what other parents are offering to the caregivers of their children. You can also check on the different sites that provide online salary calculators. Decide with your spouse about the other facilities that you are going to offer her apart from the salary. Also decide upon the other factors affecting the job like overtime, weekly holidays, sick leave, paid leave etc.When all the things related to the offer are confirmed, it is better to put the terms on the paper and make an agreement. Making a proper contract which is duly signed by both the parties will keep you as well as nanny safe from the breach of terms. You must put all the safety and discipline rules in the contract. You can find sample contract online as well.Day-cares, Creches and BabysittersDay-cares, creches and babysitters are also one of the good options for working mothers. Working mothers can find day-cares which are either close to their house or office. If travelling is not a concern, it is better to choose a day-care which is close to the office. When day-care or a creche is close to office, mothers can visit them during lunch breaks. However, you need to check the credibility of these day-cares, creches and babysitters as well. You can get secondary information from your friends and relatives who have or had considered day-care, creche or babysitter for their baby and are satisfied with the service. Here are some more tips that you can follow while choosing a day-care, crèche or babysitters for your baby.ObserveWhen you are searching for the day-care centre for your baby, you must not just finalize just based on the look of the centre or the information that you get from your friends or relatives. You should actually observe what is going on in the centre by personally visiting it. Observe the way in which the nannies and maids in the centre are interacting with children. The environment in the centre should be warm and children must be cheerful and active. If you find small babies, they must be in close and caring contact with the nannies. Also observe that if every child in the centre is being provided with right attention.Check the Rules and RegulationsIt is necessary to check the kind of rules and regulations that are exercised in the day-care. Check the rules related to manners and discipline, feeding, healthcare, television, activities, cleanliness, sleeping etc. Make sure that such rules and regulations are according to your expectations. Do not forget to check the policies related to sickness and the health conditions due to which the child won’t be allowed to attend the activities that are carried out in the day-care centre. Check the Safety MeasuresIt is necessary to check the safety measures as well. Find about the safety measures and standards that the day-care is following. Check if the centre has provided health and safety training to the staff.Pay a Surprise VisitAfter you check that all the rules, regulation and polices are meeting your expectations, you must yourself pay a surprise visit before you enrol your child in the centre. If you are enrolling your very small baby, make sure that the centre is childproofed and all the equipments meet the safety standards. To get a proper idea of how the centre is handling children of different age-groups, visit the centre at different timings.Keep the Communication OpenIt is necessary to keep the communication open. Ask the care-givers about the things that the child has done throughout the day. Ask them about the food that was given to the child, the activities that were carried, the nap time etc. At the same time it is necessary to communicate to the care givers about the routine of the child that was carried out before leaving the house. For example the kind of food that was fed to the child, the medicines that were given in case of sickness etc. If the child is a little older, parents must also communicate about the homework that is required to be done by the child.Taking Relatives or Neighbours helpSome mothers are not able to trust third parties like day-cares, crèches, baby sitters, nannies or maids. Such mothers can take help of their relatives or neighbours if they are ready to take care of baby. If mothers are not comfortable even with the relatives or neighbours, they can discuss the issue with the in-laws. There are many working mothers who take help of their in-laws for taking care of their children. When it comes to the safety of the grandchild, in-laws may become very supportive.Working from HomeIf all of the above options do not work, mothers can start working from home. With the development and growth in IT sector, there are lots of Work from Home opportunities available. As such juggling with work and giving time to family has become very easy as mothers can now work from home. Apart from computer-based jobs, there are lots of home-based businesses which mothers can start. Listed below are some of the work-from-home options for mothers who cannot do full time jobs.Content WritingThere are lot of content writing jobs which can be done from home. Mothers can not only do article writing but also other content writing jobs that are available in the world of digital content.Home TutoringYou can also choose to do home tutoring. Tutoring school going children at home can help you to earn quite a good amount of money without having to do any full time job.Online TutoringNowadays, online tutoring jobs are also available for the mothers who are tech-savvy as well as have good command over teaching skills. Mother can not only do online tutoring to provide academic tutoring but tutor various other skills that they are expert in. Such skills include skills like cooking, singing, dancing, creative arts, performing arts etc.Baby SittingSometimes the problem itself becomes the solution. Mothers who cannot do full time jobs can themselves do baby sitting at home. They can care for their own baby along with caring for other’s children depending upon the number of helpers that they have at home.Bakery and ConfectioneryIf you love baking and chocolate making, you can start taking orders for the same. All you need is an oven, cake trays and chocolate trays. Today there is a huge demand for homemade cakes and chocolates. So, do not miss this opportunity and transform your love for baking and chocolate making into your small home-based business.Candle MakingIf you are good at creativity you can start making beautiful candles as well as the business of candle making at home. Beautiful candles have a huge demand in the market of candles.TailoringIf you have knowledge of tailoring, you can start this business at home. You can also acquire knowledge of tailoring by watching various videos that are available online. You can become an expert in tailoring and fashion designing in a very short period of time if you are dedicated towards learning these skills.You can choose any of the above-mentioned options for taking care of your baby. However, do not take decision in hurry. Talk to your family members and friends and choose the option which is more credible after carrying out a proper research. After all it is the question of safety and security of the apple of your eye.Which are the best baby care options for working mothers? Is work-from-home better than doing a full-time job while caring for a baby? How to choose a right day-care centre for a baby? Discuss here
As a working mother, how do you manage to take care of your baby? If you are looking for an option, you need to find out its credibility as it is all about the safety and security of your baby. Read on to know more about the options which working mothers can consider for taking care of their baby.Unlike olden days, family and career both are equally important for women today. However, she has to walk on a fine line of parenting when it is about
taking care of a baby while working. Many of them also quit working to take care of their babies. But, for some women it is necessary to provide financial support to their families. As such they have to depend on others for taking care of their babies. Read on about the options which a
working mother can consider for taking care of her baby.
In this articleKeeping Nanny or Maid at Home
Keeping nanny or maid at home for taking care of baby is one of the options which a working mother can consider. Nannies have a lot of experience taking care of babies and as such working mothers do not need to worry about things like bathing, diapering, feeding babies etc.
However, your baby may need some time to adjust with the nanny. You can start working when your baby is able to adjust with the nanny or maid. On the other hand, you will also get time to understand the ability of nanny to take care of your baby and make sure that the baby is in safe hands. However, you should make sure that you find nanny or a maid from a credible source. Instead of taking help from agencies, take references from your trustworthy friends, relatives or neighbours. Here are some more things that you can keep in mind while finding a nanny or a maid for your little bundle of joy.
Keep the Long-Term Requirements in MindWhile choosing a nanny don’t just think of the present needs of the baby which are limited to feeding and caregiving. Look for someone who can adjust according to the growing needs of your baby. Keep in mind that the nanny that you select is capable of growing with the baby. She should know how to handle other needs of the baby as well as take right care when the baby starts sitting, crawling, walking etc. She should be able to meet all the developmental requirements of the baby. She should have a hawk’s eye so that the baby is nurtured with utmost care. Always decide based on the requirement of the whole family as the person is not just going to be with the child but with the entire family.
If you have friends who have been through this phase, you can ask them about the things that you should keep in mind while choosing a nanny. You can list down these things and use them while making your own list of requirements that you are seeking in the nanny for the child. Noting down such things is surely going to help you during the interview process.
Interview the Nanny WellWhen the candidates are shortlisted, you must interview them well. Don’t just ask basic questions. Ask the questions that your nanny is not expecting. Focus on situational questions like “what would you do if my child falls” or “what would you do if my child gets locked in the room”. Such questions will give you a sense of how your nanny is going to handle emergencies.
Apart from the questions you ask allow your nanny to interact with your child. You will get a chance to examine how well and quickly the nanny is able to get along with your child. You must also check how your child is reacting to her while the nanny is interacting with your child. If your child is getting along well with the nanny, you can ask her to revisit before confirming her job. When you ask for the revisit, you can pay her for the same. You will get a better idea of how your child gels with the nanny when she visits again before confirming her job.
Do a Thorough Background CheckOnce you finalize a nanny make sure that you do a thorough background check. Check with the references about something that they don’t like about the nanny. Find out if she was regular to work and she did her work sincerely. If you find the references trustworthy you can do a proper background check to know if the nanny has any criminal record.
Make an OfferAfter getting to know about the nanny, spending some time with her, interviewing her and doing a background check if you feel that the nanny is a perfect fit for you, you can make an offer. Before making an actual offer to nanny you must decide upon the pay based on what other parents are offering to the caregivers of their children. You can also check on the different sites that provide online salary calculators. Decide with your spouse about the other facilities that you are going to offer her apart from the salary. Also decide upon the other factors affecting the job like overtime, weekly holidays, sick leave, paid leave etc.
When all the things related to the offer are confirmed, it is better to put the terms on the paper and make an agreement. Making a proper contract which is duly signed by both the parties will keep you as well as nanny safe from the breach of terms. You must put all the safety and discipline rules in the contract. You can find sample contract online as well.
Day-cares, Creches and Babysitters
Day-cares, creches and babysitters are also one of the good options for working mothers. Working mothers can find day-cares which are either close to their house or office. If travelling is not a concern, it is better to choose a day-care which is close to the office. When day-care or a creche is close to office, mothers can visit them during lunch breaks. However, you need to check the credibility of these day-cares, creches and babysitters as well. You can get secondary information from your friends and relatives who have or had considered day-care, creche or babysitter for their baby and are satisfied with the service. Here are some more tips that you can follow while choosing a day-care, crèche or babysitters for your baby.
ObserveWhen you are searching for the day-care centre for your baby, you must not just finalize just based on the look of the centre or the information that you get from your friends or relatives. You should actually observe what is going on in the centre by personally visiting it. Observe the way in which the nannies and maids in the centre are interacting with children. The environment in the centre should be warm and children must be cheerful and active. If you find small babies, they must be in close and caring contact with the nannies. Also observe that if every child in the centre is being provided with right attention.
Check the Rules and RegulationsIt is necessary to check the kind of rules and regulations that are exercised in the day-care. Check the rules related to manners and discipline, feeding, healthcare, television, activities, cleanliness, sleeping etc. Make sure that such rules and regulations are according to your expectations. Do not forget to check the policies related to sickness and the health conditions due to which the child won’t be allowed to attend the activities that are carried out in the day-care centre.
Check the Safety MeasuresIt is necessary to check the safety measures as well. Find about the safety measures and standards that the day-care is following. Check if the centre has provided health and safety training to the staff.
Pay a Surprise VisitAfter you check that all the rules, regulation and polices are meeting your expectations, you must yourself pay a surprise visit before you enrol your child in the centre. If you are enrolling your very small baby, make sure that the centre is childproofed and all the equipments meet the safety standards. To get a proper idea of how the centre is handling children of different age-groups, visit the centre at different timings.
Keep the Communication OpenIt is necessary to keep the communication open. Ask the care-givers about the things that the child has done throughout the day. Ask them about the food that was given to the child, the activities that were carried, the nap time etc. At the same time it is necessary to communicate to the care givers about the routine of the child that was carried out before leaving the house. For example the kind of food that was fed to the child, the medicines that were given in case of sickness etc. If the child is a little older, parents must also communicate about the homework that is required to be done by the child.
Taking Relative's or Neighbour's help
Some mothers are not able to trust third parties like day-cares,
crèches, baby sitters, nannies or maids. Such mothers can take help of their relatives or neighbours if they are ready to take care of baby. If mothers are not comfortable even with the relatives or neighbours, they can discuss the issue with the in-laws. There are many working mothers who take help of their in-laws for taking care of their children. When it comes to the safety of the grandchild, in-laws may become very supportive.
Working from Home
If all of the above options do not work, mothers can start working from home. With the development and growth in IT sector, there are lots of
Work from Home opportunities available. As such juggling with work and giving time to family has become very easy as mothers can now work from home. Apart from computer-based jobs, there are lots of home-based businesses which mothers can start. Listed below are some of the work-from-home options for mothers who cannot do full time jobs.
Content WritingThere are lot of content writing jobs which can be done from home. Mothers can not only do article writing but also other content writing jobs that are available in the world of digital content.
Home TutoringYou can also choose to do home tutoring. Tutoring school going children at home can help you to earn quite a good amount of money without having to do any full time job.
Online TutoringNowadays, online tutoring jobs are also available for the mothers who are tech-savvy as well as have good command over teaching skills. Mother can not only do online tutoring to provide academic tutoring but tutor various other skills that they are expert in. Such skills include skills like cooking, singing, dancing, creative arts, performing arts etc.
Baby SittingSometimes the problem itself becomes the solution. Mothers who cannot do full time jobs can themselves do baby sitting at home. They can care for their own baby along with caring for other’s children depending upon the number of helpers that they have at home.
Bakery and ConfectioneryIf you love baking and chocolate making, you can start taking orders for the same. All you need is an oven, cake trays and chocolate trays. Today there is a huge demand for homemade cakes and chocolates. So, do not miss this opportunity and transform your love for baking and chocolate making into your small home-based business.
Candle MakingIf you are good at creativity you can start making beautiful candles as well as the business of candle making at home. Beautiful candles have a huge demand in the market of candles.
TailoringIf you have knowledge of tailoring, you can start this business at home. You can also acquire knowledge of tailoring by watching various videos that are available online. You can become an expert in tailoring and fashion designing in a very short period of time if you are dedicated towards learning these skills.
You can choose any of the above-mentioned options for taking care of your baby. However, do not take decision in hurry. Talk to your family members and friends and choose the option which is more credible after carrying out a proper research. After all it is the question of safety and security of the apple of your eye.
Which are the best baby care options for working mothers? Is work-from-home better than doing a full-time job while caring for a baby? How to choose a right day-care centre for a baby? Discuss here
