Who To Trust With Baby

By Michelle Marina

Hello, Intuitive Friend!

I am currently five months pregnant and rethinking my childcare options for when the baby is born. Currently, I have both my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law lined up to babysit while I work. However, I’m worried that if my sister-in-law watches the baby, she won’t respond to me with texts and things, and she’s hard to get a hold of because she’s “so busy.” And my mother-in-law is fine, but I feel like she will flake out and then go away for like a week, and I won’t have childcare. If I need daycare, I need to look at them now because of the waitlists. What should I do?

Signed,

Worried Mama

-———

Dear Worried Mama,

If you are unsure of your childcare situation, the best thing to do is to have a backup plan in place. Get your baby on a waitlist with the daycare of your choice. That way, the option is there in case the arrangement with your in-laws falls through. The next thing you need to do is have an honest, in-person conversation with your in-laws. Both sides need to communicate their expectations, needs, and any hesitations they may have. You can do this! You must have clear communication with anyone caring for your children, so why not start now? I have a feeling you’ll feel much better after having that conversation. Best of luck!

With love,

Intuitive Friend

Michelle is a writer, a teacher, and a married mother of two beautiful and spirited little girls. In her column “Ask That Intuitive Friend,” Michelle answers readers’ questions regarding family matters, friendship, and relationships by combining lived experience and pure intuition. Readers are encouraged to submit their questions via email: (Pocono Update email here) and follow Michelle’s memoir-in-progress, “Twice Upon an Orphan,” at https://michellemarina.substack.com/.