Here is a schedule to use to plan for all your household care needs throughout the year. This should help if you have kids, pets—and an all-around busy life.
July-September: Booking after-school care
Whether you’re hiring an after-school sitter, planning afternoon activities or choosing between after-school programs, there are plenty of options. Consider budget as well as what your kids need: focused one-on-one attention or a ton of energy-exerting activities (or both!).
October: Book your holiday housekeeper
Need someone to do a thorough clean before the in-laws arrive? Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas, start thinking about how you can alleviate some stress (as in not cleaning the bathroom!). Outsource some of your most dreaded tasks to make your life a little easier, especially around the holidays. Then consider negotiating a monthly schedule for regular cleaning service.
Also, if you will be boarding a pet for Christmas break, book now or consider a pet-sitter.
November: Start thinking about tutoring services
No need to book right away, but start looking at homework and gauge any issues during parent-teacher conferences. It’s best to fix a problem before the first report card comes. Another option is hiring a university-aged sitter who can serve as a homework helper and school mentor.
December: Holiday sitters and project helpers
Christmas parties and New Years’ Eve plans are bound to pop up. Shopping trips are much more efficient (and enjoyable) without kids hanging off you. And presents get wrapped faster with extra hands. Avoid a holiday headache by planning your care-needs as far in advance as possible, especially if kids don’t have care over winter break.
January: New nanny?
This is the time to evaluate if your current care situation is working for you and your family. If there are new tasks to discuss, plan a formal conversation with your current nanny to see if she would take them on. But if a bigger change needs to happen, create a more thorough job post with specific challenges for a new hire. This is also the best month to start researching summer camps.
February/March: Spring Breaks
Two problems arise during the spring: your kids’ school break and a university caregiver’s spring break. If you have a university-aged sitter, discuss their vacation plans – and how they align with your kids’ school vacation. You might have two care-gaps to fill.
April-May: Plan for the summer
What do your kids want to do this summer? Now is the time to post for a summer sitter or make sure your summer camp schedule will get you to work on time. It’s also a good time to think about your own family vacation—and care for yourself a bit!
As Managing Editor at Care.com, Katie Herrick Bugbee focuses on global content for parents, caregivers, pet-owners, and families in need of senior care. As a mom of two small children, grandchild of an ailing grandfather and all-around pet lover, Katie understands care challenges and provides timely insight and content to share, on topics such as maternity leave, back to school, and the holidays.
Read more: Leaving Kids with a Sitter for the First Time.
