Having a child is a full time job, especially when they’re young. There’s weening, potty training, feeding, reading—everything under the sun to make sure that they grow up to be healthy, happy, and loved. But there’s another measure that we hold deeply in our hearts: safety. Child safety is of the utmost importance, especially when they’re babies. But therein lies a paradox: how do we keep them safe when we have to go out and work? How can we be as present as possible while providing for the family? It’s a tough choice, especially in a single parent household. Here are some ways we can make absolutely sure that there’s protection around our child while we keep the house afloat.
Smart Monitors
Baby monitors have been around ever since the invention of the two way radio. The concept is the exact same. Back in the day, they’d just let us know if the baby is crying so we can check on them if need be. Nowadays, technology has upped its game. Most smart monitors for babies are equipped with cameras as well as traditional sound capabilities. Even more impressive, most of them link up to your phone via an app. Any kind of abrupt activity can be picked up and sent as a notification on your phone. If you’re at work, there has to be, by law, someone present to care for the child. But that age range varies from state to state. Most hover around 15. If you’re leaving your child with a teenage babysitter, no matter how mature they are, you’ll want to have some extra assurances.
Babysitting Firms
If you moved to a big city, there’s a big chance that you don’t have many family and friends that have the kind of free time that allows for watching a baby. That, once again, is a full time job on its own. What is available are babysitting firms. When you hire a professional babysitter, you have the ability to pick and choose the person that will be watching over your kid. There are background checks and active liability clauses that are put in place to make absolutely sure that they are qualified and experienced enough to take on the job. Couple that with a smart monitor and you have the next best thing in the big city.
Work From Home
This may not be an option for everybody, but if you have a work from home option, take it. Either take that or start a small online business and apply for small business loan grants. In this day and age it’s hard putting trust in anyone but yourself. If you or your partner can actively set aside time, you can potentially keep your job and/or find ways to fund a small business. Unfortunately, that kind of operation takes a bit of planning ahead of time. But if you can pull it off, you’ll have all the time in the world to look after your kid.
Keeping a baby safe is no easy task. But in the hustle and bustle of the world today, we have limited options. Ideally, we’d be around family and friends that can take on that job. If not, the above recommendations are the next best thing.
