Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means parent is mostly at home directing your work.

This.

And in my house it means I'm talking about a young person - in the 9-14 yr old range. Someone I'm cultivating as a future babysitter perhaps, or just a good fun kid who enjoys playing with my kids so I can breathe (or do laundry, or make dinner, etc...)

I never refer to an adult as a mother's helper.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mother's helper is for someone young, not yet old enough to babysit. My 9 yr old is a mother's helper two afternoons a week to a neighbor lady.

While at least one of the parents are home she plays with their toddler. Then after nap time DD cleans up the toys, organizes them, folds a basket of laundry, and cuts up snack for when the kid wakes.

That's pretty young for any sort of help. Most of the ones I've seen are babysitting age, but young babysitting age - like 13 to 15 range.

I don't consider 13-15 young to babysit. By 15 a teen can get a retail job.

I do. I would absolutely not leave my kids with a 13 year old in the evening. And many retail stores require 16 for cash handling.

Anyway, 9 is ridiculous. It's probably illegal.

Wow. Such a variety of responses here!

I guess the true definition of the term varies from person to person.

In my opinion, the job description depends on what the mother actually requests.

But commonly, the mother will always remain in the home, she will just need an extra set of hands around.

She may request:

• Someone to assist w/actual "hands-on" baby/childcare. Including preparing formula, cleaning & sterilizing bottles, preparing meals/snacks, changing diapers, entertaining + supervising children so mom can shower/laundry/iron or clean house, etc.

The Mother's Helper will typically make less money than a nanny or babysitter would.

Some people even use the term "Mother's Helper" as a way to pay less money out.
Yet the helper may find herself doing similar duties while having the stress of being under the mother's watchful eye.

Mother's Helper: Childcare + Being Micromanaged While Doing So = Job From Hell.

It sounds like there are varying descriptions for what a mother's helper position entails. What about when a job is listed as a nanny/mother's helper position? It seems like the definition can differ from family to family, so it would be best to contact the family and see what their definition is.

I haven't inquired a job like this before, but a nanny friend warned me that after she accepted a mother's helper position she was expected to work as a nanny and maid, but was only paid a nanny's salary. But it doesn't seem like this is the norm and maybe she just got involved with a bad family?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mother's helper is for someone young, not yet old enough to babysit. My 9 yr old is a mother's helper two afternoons a week to a neighbor lady.

While at least one of the parents are home she plays with their toddler. Then after nap time DD cleans up the toys, organizes them, folds a basket of laundry, and cuts up snack for when the kid wakes.

That's pretty young for any sort of help. Most of the ones I've seen are babysitting age, but young babysitting age - like 13 to 15 range.

I don't consider 13-15 young to babysit. By 15 a teen can get a retail job.

Anonymous wrote:Mother's helper is for someone young, not yet old enough to babysit. My 9 yr old is a mother's helper two afternoons a week to a neighbor lady.

While at least one of the parents are home she plays with their toddler. Then after nap time DD cleans up the toys, organizes them, folds a basket of laundry, and cuts up snack for when the kid wakes.

That's pretty young for any sort of help. Most of the ones I've seen are babysitting age, but young babysitting age - like 13 to 15 range.

It's usually a teenager, who will assist you under your supervision while you are home most of the time. It's great if you need someone to play with older (little) kids while you take care of a baby, or if you need to get housework done and need someone to entertain the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means parent is mostly at home directing your work.

This.

And in my house it means I'm talking about a young person - in the 9-14 yr old range. Someone I'm cultivating as a future babysitter perhaps, or just a good fun kid who enjoys playing with my kids so I can breathe (or do laundry, or make dinner, etc...)

I never refer to an adult as a mother's helper.

This.

I advertised for a "mothers helper" once and was surprised by how many adult applicants I got (I was only offering $5/hr). At the time I thought it just proved how bad the job market was in my town, but now I wonder if they misunderstood the job.

Mother's helper is for someone young, not yet old enough to babysit. My 9 yr old is a mother's helper two afternoons a week to a neighbor lady.

While at least one of the parents are home she plays with their toddler. Then after nap time DD cleans up the toys, organizes them, folds a basket of laundry, and cuts up snack for when the kid wakes.

The Mom is home to supervise if need be, but needs someone to play with the kids while she is doing other things.

Anonymous wrote:It means parent is mostly at home directing your work.

This.

And in my house it means I'm talking about a young person - in the 9-14 yr old range. Someone I'm cultivating as a future babysitter perhaps, or just a good fun kid who enjoys playing with my kids so I can breathe (or do laundry, or make dinner, etc...)

I never refer to an adult as a mother's helper.

It means you play with kids while mother does the work. A helper does no housework, laundry, cooking. You might, on occasion, fold some children's laundry and only child's laundry.

If you are paid $10 or less per hour all you do is play with kids. If you are asked to do more, you ask for $15 an hour.

Anonymous wrote:Is this just a nice way of saying "I want you to be both a nanny and a housekeeper, but combine them into one job so I don't have to pay for both"?? Should I steer clear of jobs that say mother's helper?

Mother help mean is help mother to help mom get the family settle,the house more organize,go for groceries,cvs.....

It means parent is mostly at home directing your work.

Is this just a nice way of saying "I want you to be both a nanny and a housekeeper, but combine them into one job so I don't have to pay for both"?? Should I steer clear of jobs that say mother's helper?