Kids are no doubt every mom’s priority, but there are times that you might have to leave them for an hour or so and can’t tag them along especially on sudden or important business meetings. However, you wouldn’t want to leave the little one to just anyone!
If you have no nanny, here’s a list of people that may take good care of your kid (nearly as good as you) while you are away:
1. Grandparents
If you are lucky to have healthy parents (yes, with strong muscles and bones that can lift and console your crying baby and run after your tot) who are available to look after (or spoil) your precious one for a few hours, then, by all means, call them up and set a granny bonding time with them. You do not only get to have a free time to attend to that meeting, you allow them to have precious time together. Just make sure to be back before they complain of backaches.
2. Dependable BFF Moms
Among the girlfriends that you have, there must be one who is a mom herself and won’t mind having to set up a playdate with her little tot and yours. BFF moms are surely great people to look after your kids as they already have the maternal concern and instinct, and their house is already equipped with baby needs, just in case you forgot to bring yours. She knows what to do when the baby is hungry, poops, or just seems to want a hug.
3. Reputable Day Care
There are numerous day care or preschools in the metro, but be sure to pick one that can take care of your kids properly and encourage some “kid-time only” for your child. Rina Neoh, CEO of Mindchamps International Preschool Philippines, shares that the main benefit of providing children with “independent time” is to allow them to cultivate independence from a very young age. It gives them the opportunity to engage themselves in various activities and learn to perform tasks on their own.
Preschools like MindChamps are professionally trained and equipped to take care of kids as young as 18 months old. This school has two sessions for the day, morning from 8:30am to 12:30pm and afternoon session from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. You and the kiddo can pass by anytime of the day and rest assured that the little one will learn new things and be properly taken care of.
4. Husband
You are not called partners for nothing. Get the help of your husband and ask him for a time off work to look after the kid for a few hours. Discuss it with him and get his help and support too.
Aside from sharing responsibilities in taking care of the kid, fathers who participate in caregiving are more patient, empathetic, and flexible and enjoy greater job satisfaction as shared by leanin.org. So the next time you have meetings to attend to, enlist his support and get them ready for some dad and kid action time.
If none work,
5. Just bring the baby
If the meeting is too sudden and you can’t find someone to entrust the kid to, then there’s no question that you have to bring the child with you. You are a mother and whoever you are meeting with should understand and respect that. Otherwise, do a Skype call or other alternative methods of communication.
Working moms are often torn between doing a great job and being an awesome mother, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Taking care of business meetings can be possible even if you have children as you have an excellent support team to count on.