by Marianne Graff
Originally published on Substack
https://mariannable.substack.com/p/10-no-cost-ways-to-get-free-child
While I was between homes recently, I stayed with a friend who has 3 kids. We both teach English online, so we started coordinating our schedules so one of us could teach while the other looked after the kids for 2-4 hours at a time. And so I experienced co-parenting for the first time, and I will never look back!
Image by senivpetro on Freepik
It’s been great to have even a couple of hours each day where I knew another adult was looking after my kids and I could concentrate on other things.
I never would have asked her to help me out in this way had I not been staying with her, but now that we are doing it, I wonder why it was ‘out of the question’ before. I wonder why so many of us are hesitant to ask for the help we want and need?
My friend hit the nail on the head on ay when we were talking about parenting. She feels a great deal of pressure to try to always be present for her kids. Her parents were emotionally absent and she is determined to be different.
But once she said it out loud, she realized that is un realistic. It’s impossible to be everything for your children. As they say, ‘ it takes a village to raise a child’.
Now that we are getting a break in the day from parenting, we both come back to childcare with renewed energy and much more patience.
So let go of the guilt! Plan on spending time away from your kids as a way to be an excellent parent, not just when you are desperate for a break and things have gotten out of hand emotionally with your kids.
Here are some ideas for ‘free childcare’ if you are a single parent or a parent whose spouse is too busy to spell you off during the day. And let g
- Childcare Co-op with Other Single Moms – Form a group where you rotate watching each other’s kids. Monday you watch 4 kids while others work, Tuesday someone else takes a turn. Everyone gets free days without kids.
- Trade Skills for Babysitting – Offer something you’re good at (haircuts, tutoring, meal prep, house cleaning) in exchange for someone watching your kids.
- Tap Into Teen Volunteers – Contact local high schools about students needing volunteer hours for National Honor Society, college applications, or community service requirements.
- Church Nursery Swaps – Many churches offer free childcare during services. Volunteer one service, attend another service child-free, or ask about mom’s groups with rotating childcare.
- Family Trade-Offs – Ask relatives to watch kids in exchange for helping them with something specific (yard work on weekends, running their errands, teaching them technology).
- YMCA Open Gym Childcare – Many Ys offer financial assistance or scholarships that include access to their childcare during open gym times. I know people who go to IKEA to pay for the childcare service while they sit in the IKEA cafe for an hour.
- Neighbor Block Swap or ‘Momune’ co-parenting arrangements- Arrange with trusted neighbors to watch kids for short periods, alternating weeks. Even 2 hours can be transformative.
- College Student Practicum Hours – Contact early childhood education or social work departments. Students often need practice hours and will provide free care under supervision.
- Virtual Playdates – Set up Zoom calls where kids “play together” online with another mom’s kids. Both moms can work while kids are occupied. Works best if YOU wear th headphones instead of your child! Works especially well for ages 6+.
Note: Do not try to use your local library as a free childcare option. You can’t just drop off your kid and leave them unattended during craft time or story time. The library staff are not insured for childcare duties (nor are they trained childcare experts). I used to work in libraries and this was a big problem.
You may also be interested in my previous article about ‘Momunes’ if you want to make this kind of parenting shift on a permanent basis.