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THE SAFETY OF OUR PROVIDERS AND THE FAMILIES THEY SERVE IS OUR TOP PRIORITY. LEARN HOW.
When you’re divorced, finding ways to balance your career and family comes with additional hurdles and challenges that non-divorced families don’t need to worry about. In divorced families, both parents need to stay in communication with each other and put their children’s needs first.
We recognize that this can be easier said than done. One way to find balance and reduce your workload is by hiring household staff for both households. Hiring household staff to manage housekeeping, cooking, running errands, and taking care of your children can ease much of the additional stress that comes with divorce.
We have a list of ways that household staff can help divorced parents, along with some tips for parents to consider before they hire someone to care for their children, family schedules, and homes.
Hiring household staff to help divorced parents create a balance between two homes can make life easier for everyone, especially your children. With the right childcare and household staff in place, both parents can focus their time and energy on the things that matter most—their children.
Here are three ways hiring household staff can help your family find balance and peace.
1. Create consistency for the kids
Children need to feel secure and safe as they transition between multiple households. Having a familiar nanny who works at both mom and dad’s house can help kids who struggle with transitioning from one home to another. This can be especially helpful early in the divorce when your kids are adjusting to their new normal. Your nanny will be there to provide comfort and structure when your kids need support.
2. Free up time for your kids
Dual household families need to make additional efforts to give their kids attention. Besides being there for your kids at home, you want to attend all of their important events, like soccer games, parent-teacher conferences, band concerts, and everything in between. Hiring household staff can help you free up valuable time so you can focus on communicating with your ex-spouse and showing up for your kids when they need you.
3. Stay organized
Keeping a family calendar up-to-date is crucial for divorced families. Even in situations where ex-spouses are in frequent contact, it’s easy for an event to get lost or forgotten. Hiring household staff, such as a personal assistant, can keep things organized and ensure that both parents are always aware of everything going on in their children’s lives.
Hiring household staff when you have more than one household presents some additional challenges. Both parents will need to work together to develop an arrangement that works best for their children and their homes.
Here are some things to consider when you are hiring household staff as a divorced parent.
1. Determine the payment structure
Clarify who is responsible for paying for household staff ahead of time to eliminate surprises and ensure that your household staff is paid on time. It can be helpful to work with your lawyer or a mediator if you and your ex-spouse are having difficulty coming to a mutual agreement.
2. Set the same expectations for each household
Hiring a nanny who can be at both homes will help create consistency. Make sure you and your ex-spouse have the same expectations and guidelines at each household to avoid confusion from your nanny and children. You will also need to agree on a schedule and calendar, so your nanny knows where she is supposed to be and when.
3. Hire staff together
When possible, it’s best for both mom and dad to have a say in hiring a nanny, family personal assistant, and other household staff that will be shared between households. This allows both parties to agree on the people they want in their homes and around their children and can eliminate tension or further disagreements down the road.
@Ease Family Solutions understands the additional challenges that divorce can bring to a family. We help divorced parents find solutions that will serve all members of the family. We’re here to help make your life as stress-free as possible with highly qualified childcare providers and estate staffing specialists. Check out our website to learn more about everything we have to offer.
