How TPTer Moms Can Get Childcare for $2 a Day

He chewed through my charging cord. 

And popped a key off my keyboard.

And broke the iPad stand latch.

My 1-year-old (not my dog) was destroying business assets faster than I could make them. Can mom teacherpreneurs build a business without kids destroying it faster? Can teacherpreneur moms balance spending precious time with their kids and grow their business? Is there ANY WAY to get—mom—a few minutes—mom— to think QUIETLY, and—mom—create a few things for your business where you don’t get—MOM—interrupted?

There had to be a way to work that didn’t involve me sneaking to my computer while he was busy coloring the counter Bluey with Color Wonder markers. (Otherwise, we both know everything, BUT Bluey would be colored.) Or trying to create a product on my phone. Or trying to spend quality time with my kids and quality time with my business. At the same time.

It’s not that the technology destroying is really that expensive, but parents need something to feel successful about each some days. And everything a work from home mom (or dad) does gets destroyed. 

The once clean dishes? Dirty. Piled in the sink.

The toys that got picked up? Floor confetti.

The clean counter? Banana encrusted.

But creating a new digital download? That is the—one thing—that can’t be destroyed by yogurt fingers. Not only is it indestructible, it lives on perpetually making money for your family for decades to come.

How can you find time to create those things?

45 Seconds Often Turns Into 4-5 hours

Finding the time to create is hard H A R D. Something always gets destroyed. Either your tech or your focus. If you don’t have babies chewing on your cord, they’re constantly vying for your attention. Does your life look like this?

“Looks like I need to align these three objects on this page…”

”Mom. MOM. MOOOOMMMM!”

“mmm…hmmm?”

“What happens iiiiiif a dinosaur ates a cat wrapped in tape that’s on fire?”

“It’ll be okay…. I just need 5 more minutes to finish this new work thing.”

“Moooommm. Wou’re not wistening to me.”

“I know. I will in 4 and a half minutes. I just need y’all to……….play on the blanket for a feeew more minutes……while I…….finish……………this up.”

”MOOOOMMMM! The baby has poooooooop in his diaper.”

With kids, a 45 second task somehow takes all day.

So how do you find childcare on a budget?

Child Care That’s Perfect for TPTers

You think creatively sweat and commitment.

The two most obvious answers are asking grandparents or daycare to look after your kids.

But grandparents may live far away, not be retired, or not able to watch your kids. It’d be nice, not to mention free, but might not be an option.

Daycare is expensive in most areas. Plus, you might not be making enough on TPT yet to cover the cost of daycare. (Annnddd you’re probably doing TPT so you can be home with your kids, right?)

A less obvious answer might be taking your kids to the park and attempting to create on your phone.

And that might work some. But there’s that whole rain thing. And winter thing. And needing to watching the kids to make sure they behave thing. All of that gets in the way of park working time.

But there is a very affordable solution right under your nose.

Build Your Business at the Gym Juice Bar

In my hours of Googling, I stumbled upon my answer by accident.

Mom’s Morning out. At the gym.

So I could pay a small fee twice a week for 3 hours. Digging a little further, I realized I could just get a gym membership and get 2 hours of childcare each day.

I quickly did the rockbottom math.

It was $75 for a MONTH of childcare. That’s $2 for every 2 hours I used.

Now $75 can feel hard to pay for, if you are first starting out. But think about it this way. Can you make a worksheet or other digital product for $2 in those 2 hours? Then you really are just borrowing money from future you. Future you has already paid for this gym membership a hundred times over.

Use Your Gym to Find Balance

So as long as you can complete something that will give your business higher earning potential, it’s worth it.

Yeah, when you get home your counter may still be banana encrusted. 

But you’ll have made a product that is going to make teaching easier for another teacher. And you’ll have more time to focus on your kids since you weren’t getting interrupted every 30 seconds. 

Making a difference in your family and in the teaching world—that’s what TPT businesses are all about.

Check out your local gyms and see if they have childcare. I drop my kids off at 8:00AM. Run for 20 minutes to get my head ready to execute a lot of high value tasks.

Then I set up at the juice bar and work with my headphones on.

At 9:55AM, I pack up, pick up kids, and enjoy the rest of my banana encrusted day.