Five Cheap and Easy Daycare Alternatives

Those who follow this blog and my occasional parenting rants know that I am in perpetual pursuit of the perfect child care solution. My daughter is too young for preschool but old enough to be able to drive me crazy at home. I’m unwilling to shell out for daycare but still need some solitary time each day to get my work done. This makes for a not-always-happy situation.

However, somehow, I still manage to meet my deadlines, week after week. Some days are more frustrating than others, but at the end of the month, I can usually look back and feel good about all that I’ve accomplished.

But I don’t do it alone. I have equipped myself with an arsenal of options ranging from smart to downright desperate.

Option One – Share and Share Alike

I’ve done this extensively with my brother and occasionally with Lorna. Basically, it’s a kid swap: I watch their kids for a few hours and they return the favor either the same day or at a future date. Because I’m home all day with my daughter anyway, it’s not like I have to take time out of my day to do this (plus, the kids are usually ecstatic to have some time together). If you don’t have relatives or a business partner nearby, there are actually some co-op parenting groups that do basically the same thing. (You could always start one, too.)

Option Two – Mother’s Helper

This is an idea that I first got here at Freelance Parent. It requires some payout (since you are hiring someone to come to your house and watch your kids), but it typically costs less than a “real” babysitter or daycare because it occurs in your home. I personally hire my twelve-year-old cousin (’cause she’s waaaayyy cheap), but I know Lorna pays a little bit more to have an actual adult watch her baby. Either way, you get to control the hours and you don’t have to leave your kids too far away.

Option Three – Drop In and Play

Much to my delight, I recently discovered my local shopping mall’s Drop In and Play area. And by “discovered,” I mean “broke down and gave in to my daughter’s incessant demands to go inside.” For a small price, you can drop your kid off in a room filled with toys and playhouses and go shopping; the only rule is that you have to stay in the mall. I always stayed away because it listed the prices as $6 an hour, and I’m really very cheap. However, they have this option called Parent Play, wherein your kid gets to play but you are required to stay in the room. The Parent Play option is half off. And my mall’s Drop In and Play has a set up of tables with outlets for my laptop nearby. And my daughter pretty much refuses to leave for hours on end. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the happiest place on Earth.

Option Four – Ride Someone Else’s Gravy Train

I haven’t done this yet, but I’m growing perilously close. My neighbor down the street has a son a few months younger than my daughter. We see him all the time and occasionally stop by for a chat and some play time. His parents work all day long, and there is an older woman who watches him in his house. I’ve yet to determine if she is a grandparent or just a nice lady they hire, but I’m building up the nerve to ask if I can just leave my daughter there for an hour or two a few afternoons a week. She’s already there anyway, I could pitch in a few dollars (more money for her and/or less of a burden on how much the parents pay), and I’m just a house away.

Option Five – Shopping “Daycares”

This is similar to the Drop In and Play I mentioned above. Stores like Fred Meyers and IKEA have these great little play areas where you check your kid in while you shop. They are almost always free for one to two hours; the idea is that you spend lots of money on their merchandise, thereby making it worth the store’s while to offer the service. These same stores often put in some sort of cafe or Starbucks as further evidence of their marketing prowess, enticing you to turn your shopping errand into a whole experience. However, if you don’t mind cheating the system a little, you can simply skip the shopping portion of the whole idea. Drop your kid off, grab a seat in the cafe, and get to work on your laptop. No one will ever know.