Think there are things money can’t buy? Guess again. Now, if you have the dough, you can hire “parenting subcontractors,” people you can rent out to do annoying tasks for your children that you don’t want to. Like removing head lice. According to an article in Time, there’s a woman out there who really does this. I’m serious. She runs a company called “Texas Lice Squad” and parents hire her to come over to pick out their kids head bugs. In addition, parents are also outsourcing other tasks like taking kids to soccer practice or a doctor’s appointment. Â
Critics argue that parents who do these things are “lazy.” Parents who use these services see it as freeing up more “quality time” to spend with their kids. Â
As a working mom with little time to spare, I see it as my dream. There are certain aspects of parenting (like head lice removal) that give me the creeps and that I’d rather not spend my free time doing. I’m sorry, but if someone wants to help me out a little with potty training, I’m all ears. I’d love to have an expert around that I could hire on a moment’s notice to help with certain unglamorous tasks.Â
Of course, I’m really not at the point where I’d actually pick up the phone and call the Head Lice Lady quite yet, so I’m talking a big game. But in preparation for the future, I did make a short list of other things I would consider outsourcing, if I could afford it and if someone wanted to do it:
- Nail clipping – there’s no worse feeling than pricking your kid’s finger because you went to deep with those clippers
- Teeth brushing – isn’t there a toothbrush out there made for sore, teething gums?
- Dinner clean up – I’ve wrenched my back one too many times picking up green beans
- Fever taking – you get my drift
What would you outsource? Don’t lie and tell me you’ve never daydreamed about this…
Tags: outsourcing, Time+magazine, subcontracting
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I’m with you on the dinner clean-up. Sure there are things that no parent likes doing, but if we didn’t do all of the icky, un-fun tasks, could we really appreciate all of the good times? Parenting would be too easy and, in my opinion, maybe a little less fulfilling. I love being a mom because my daughter does need me and she needs to see that I do the uneasy tasks for her because I love her. I think this is the best lesson for raising the independent, self-reliant adult. But a little help from my husband on cleaning off sticky spaghetti fingers would be awesome.
Fixing toys. Like the hands and heads and arms and helmets and all the teeny tiny parts to all the Star Wars guys. Or just talking about Star Wars in general. It bores me to NO END! That is outsourced to Daddy, but when he’s not home, I need someone to save my sanity on this issue! AH!
Steph
I would DEFINITELY outsource the lice thing, after having lived through that
nightmare this past year!
I would never do this, I am the parent – NOT!
Can I outsource telling my child he has enough toys and doesn’t need anywmore?
How about holding the door closed while my son’s in his 5th timeout for hitting his brother?
Seriously, more power to you – I would love someone to help me get the kids ready in the morning,
and for sure the lice thing if/when that comes up. Also sorting through clothes and toys to
get rid of, which I actually used to enjoy but has overwhelmed me.
I’m with you on nail clipping and dinner pick-up.
I’d also outsource meal prep – I never know what to feed this kid.
Dinner picking up… what a sink hole of time. I really would rather be on
the floor with my son playing trains. Or on the couch with my 5 month old.
Laundry. Someone come do my mountains of laundry, please. My housecleaner
doesn’t do laundry other than moving the sheets to the dryer and putting them on.
My husband hasn’t change a diaper since I can’t remember when, but g-d love him, he does the dishes every night. I’m the “A Team” and he’s the “B Team”. A Team makes the mess, and B Team cleans it up.
I’ll vote for combing knots out of my daughter’s curly hair and putting batteries in toys (first finding the screwdriver and the right size batteries…).
I wouldn’t mind outsourcing the wiping of poopy bottoms or cleaning turds out of a floor (training) potty.
If I could hire someone just to do daycare drop off and pick up, I’d be golden.
Think I can outsource someone to go to the gym for me too?
My mother-in-law clipped that TIME article for me.
Seriously I’ve thought that someone should start a business that makes school box lunches for kids. Hmmmm…maybe I should be entrepreneurial and do it!
I’d also gladly pay someone to do laundry, fold it AND put it away.
Let’s see — I’d definitely outsource the diapers (though we’re working on potty training, thank goodness). On a related note, I’d also really like to outsource the diaper genie cleanup — when that sucker gets full, it’s truly gross.
If I could find someone to handle the cats’ litter boxes, I’d be off poop duty forever!
For dinner clean-up, I have a Labrador. Sure, she’s packed on a few pounds since we had kids, but I never have to drag out the vacuum after meals.
I’m a SAHM and I would want to hire someone to do all those things
Seriously, what parent wants to pick out lice? Then again, you never know.
Just to clarify, the above comment was a poor attempt, due to the fact that I really need to go to bed, to say that I was amused by the critics because I thought what they said was ridiculous. I agree with your post!
We’ve already outsourced grocery shopping (well, I do it online) and cleaning. I don’t see a problem with the lice service. Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal yet, but why not have a pro do it. I’m sure they would do infinitely better than I would, and faster, too. And my daughter will probably sit better for it if it’s in a salon vs. the living room couch.