Why You Need a Mother's Helper

I have a confession: I am in love with my mommy interns, a.k.a. mother’s helpers. I have a few on call for when I am feeling frazzled as a mom. You know, those times when you can’t seem to get a dish done because of the laundry that piles up. Or when you can’t even shave your own legs because of all the hygienic upkeep your kids require (all those nails, hair and teeth!). A mother’s helper can take kids to the park to swing and play ball, color with your girls, play Legos and—perhaps best of all—change diapers! Read on to find out all you need to know about the wonderful world of mother’s helpers.

How do you go about finding this kid whisperer of sorts?

Keep your eyes peeled in the neighborhood for girls about age 10 and up. Put the word out with your friends, family and neighbors, and you should soon have more help than you could ever use. One of my helpers lives a few doors up and we met at the park, while another approached me at church and asked if I needed some help wrangling my crew (the answer is usually YES!).

What should you pay?

It depends on the age of the child. As a general rule, I give a tween (under age 13) about $2 per hour. Sounds like squat to you, but it’s a lot to her. Remember, she’s interning, not babysitting while you are out of the house. A member of the 13- to 15-year-old crowd might make more like $3-4 per hour, depending on how long a stretch she can occupy your kids and how helpful she is. I would discuss up front what you are able to pay so there are no misunderstandings. Let your helper know you will pay a little more when she gets older, especially if you’re able to actually leave her at the house alone with the kids while you grocery shop or hit an exercise class.

What should you have her do?

The sky is the limit here! Because I’m with my kids all day, every day, I like to farm out my mommy-attention duties, like coloring, playing trains, dolls and Candyland, pushing the baby in his swing, etc., so I can write, scrapbook, organize clothes, clean long-forgotten closets and so much more. If you work all week, you might like a mother’s helper to do chores while you focus on your kids. Depending on her age, she could fold laundry, do dishes, vacuum, start dinner and more. She even can help your kids with their homework while you make dinner so you can avoid a little homework burnout. If your helper is too young to leave at your home with your children, she can go places with you and help wrangle the kids while you grocery shop or entertain the kids in the car while you do quick, run-inside errands.

The great thing about mother’s helpers is they are getting to know you and your children in a low-pressure situation. Before you know it, your helpers will be full-fledged babysitters while you do something crazy, like go out on that long-lost thing called a date.

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com), mom of five, has had several mother’s helpers on call, and recently one of them did an overnight as a full-fledged sitter!