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I had a mother's helper last summer since we just moved across the country and I needed someone to help entertain the kids while I unpacked. She came 2-3 times a week for about 4 hours or so. She was a recent HS graduate that was a student of my cousin who is a teacher. She had a lot of babysitting experience and was great with the kids! It was nice to have an extra pair of hands around.

I don't currently have help now though since she moved away for college. My older DD goes to school for 6 hours a day, but I do still have the younger one with me 24/7 and she's a handful, but I manage somehow. My sister (who has a baby too) just sits occasionally if I have an appt and can't take DD with me.

Before we relocated in December, I sent the kids to an in-home daycare two days a week. They loved it, and it was nice for me to be able to run errands, clean the house, and do schoolwork on my own. DD was in daycare full time from 9 months until 21 months (when I had DS and quit work), and I started taking DS at 3 months. The provider just liked us, so she was willing to work with us on a part-time arrangement.

Nope, I have never had any "help", nor do I really see a need for it I guess. I can easily get everything done with my 2 kids in tow, and any help I need DH is more than willing and able to pitch in. As a SAHM I don't particularly see the need for it, I love doing things for and with my kids

I don't, but DH works from home so I'm not here by myself with LO. I think if I was here alone with him and we had the extra cash, I would definitely get a nanny for a few hours a week! Check out Care.com. I bet you could find a qualified college student looking for a little extra cash.

ETA: I think it's just more for an emotional break. As a former full-time nanny, I would sometimes be dying for some adult interaction at the end of the week. Sure, you can always take your LO with you to run errands, but I can definitely see how it would be nice to just get out for a few hours by yourself to recharge.

Nope. No help here but I would love it!

i personally don't have any help, but i certainly would not say no if it was offered!! if you guys can afford it and your dh is on board, i say why not!! go for it girl!

When I was in college, there were two families I would "help" occasionally - both were SAHMs, but would have me come over a few hours once a week or every other week so they could run errands or go to volunteer commitments, or sometimes so they could just get out of the house and have lunch with a friend sans kids. I think it was great for their sanity, and just as much as they needed a break from their kids, sometimes their kids needed a break from mom, too!

One found me through a friend-of-a-friend, the other found me through my school's "job binder" (the career office kept a listing of odd jobs like babysitting, house sitting, etc.),

I would love to eventually have someone come for a few hours a week. We won't have it right off the bat- and I probably wouldn't want it in the first couple of months- but I think it would be really nice to be able to schedule appts during those set ours, run errands that are harder to do with a baby, and even just do something for me, like go to the gym or meet a friend for lunch.

Even more so than a babysitter, though, I'd love to have a biweekly cleaning lady or something. We had a monthly cleaner until we moved and it was great. Since I'll be a SAHM soon, we cancelled when we moved and aren't getting a new one until we see how everything is going, but I think for the first several months it might be a lifesaver.

ETA: The only family we have nearby is BIL, who is younger and probably not so into babysitting. I'm sure he would do it in a pinch, and when LO is a toddler will be a super fun uncle, but I don't think a night in with a newborn is his cup of tea at the moment.

I get this question a lot too. Mostly from my friends in CA.
No help here. Would love to have someone come and clean for me, but I'm a control freak so I need to do household chores myself.

No, but I could see doing it if I had another baby before my first was in full time preschool. Or if my husband didn't work from home part time, and I needed time for appointments. I plan to either have a cleaner or a sitter/mother in law around for sure when I have two.

Im not a sahm but wfh 2-3x a week in office 2x a wk...and I could not do errands as freely or upkeep the house wo my mom who is a's primarybcaretaker when I'm working. She helps w everything not just the house. Love my umma!!!!

Id take a day. If u could find a good pt nanny id do it!!

No, I don't have "help," but I certainly wouldn't mind someone to come in once a week or so! I don't mind taking the kids with me everywhere (although I do take them to a babysitter when I have a doctor's appointment), but it would be nice to have someone just entertain them for the day while I got a ton of stuff done- sitting down and paying all the bills and getting all the regular filing and paperwork done uninterrupted, work on stuff for my business, make phone calls, clean house, etc. I do a lot better when I can pick up steam and keep working at something until it's done.
When I was growing up, when my mom had 5 and 6 little kids running around (I'm the oldest of an eventual 10), we had a local teenaged Amish girl come in as a mother's helper (VERY typical in the Amish/Mennonite communities) to help with the kids and light housework. And oh my word, when I think back to that I WISH we lived near an Amish community because I would totally hire a girl to help me out. They know what they're doing when it comes to kids and diapers and basic housework. They're clean, they're honest and it's such a win. But. I don't live close to any Amish so I juggle on my own for now.