The only way you’d get an adult to agree to a mother’s helper position is if they don’t have experience, but are trying to break into the nannying field. A glowing reference as a mother’s helper can land a solid position with a sahp or wahp, which can later translate into wohp.

Mother's helpers are typically middle school age girls (or maybe a younger high school girl or a VERY mature 5th grader) that live in your neighborhood.

You pay them in cash.

Nannies are not interested in being mother's helpers.

We had a mother's helper when I had a newborn and a 3 yr old. It was an eighth grade girl and she just played with the 3 yr old, or folded laundry, or stirred something on the stove, stuff like that. I paid $10 an hour. She lived on our street.

I am extremely overwhelmed with a new baby that screams all the time and a 21 month old toddler. Just started looking into the idea of a Mother's Helper which I did not know existed before. Because I'm already overwhelmed I can't even figure out how this would work. How would I pay the person? How much would I pay them? Should it be a nanny? What do I need to think about?