Just because your parents don’t live in town doesn’t meant they can’t watch your kid. With some creative planning, they might even be able to babysit on a regular basis. Not full-time, of course, but maybe a few days out of the month—which can really add up if you work part-time from home and, like me, have only a small budget for child care.
My folks and I have worked out an arrangement where they travel from Cleveland to Chicago once a month and stay for the good part of a week. They make the six-hour trip on the Megabus (www.megabus.com), which travels to and from most large and midsize Midwestern cities and costs about $15 per person each way. That’s much less than what they’d spend on gas and car wear and tear if they drove themselves.
They usually arrive on a Monday afternoon and leave on a Friday. If I work eight hours the days they’re here, I get at least 24 hours of free childcare (more than half a week!) a month and they get quality time with their darling granddaughter. That saves me $240 —cutting in half my monthly babysitting costs.
The fact that my mom happens to be a retired preschool teacher definitely doesn’t hurt. My daughter has the best care while they’re here—regular playground visits, lots of reading and lively play.
I know this isn’t an ideal situation for everyone—but it’s what works for me right now. And when you have a child under two, that’s about the best you can hope for.