Being a parent who works as an attorney — or is in a similar type of legal profession — comes with its own set of unique challenges, no matter what ages your children are.
Here are some common issues that parents who are attorneys often face when it comes to child care, and how hosting an au pair can help.
1. Demanding Work Hours
Problem: Attorneys often find themselves working long and irregular hours to meet legal deadlines and attend court hearings. This can make it tricky to arrange reliable child care for your little ones.
Au Pair Solution: Hosting an au pair means you’ll have flexible, live-in assistance for up to 45 hours per week and up to 10 hours per day. You and your au pair can create a customized child care schedule that works best for your needs as an attorney and is built around what your work week might look like.
2. High Stress Levels
Problem: The legal field can be incredibly stressful. Balancing the demands of your law career with parenting responsibilities can lead to increased stress levels, which can affect your well-being and your ability to care for your children.
Au Pair Solution: If you’re going through a particularly high-stress case or are feeling the pressure of being everywhere all at once, hosting an au pair can ease that burden. You’ll have the presence of another adult in your home who can act as a mentor for your child or children.
3. Limited Flexibility
Problem: Certain legal roles may offer limited flexibility in terms of work hours and remote work options. This can make it challenging to accommodate your child’s needs and school schedules.
Au Pair Solution: Worried about your child or children having supervision while you’re working or need to be in the office? Don’t be! Because your au pair lives with you and has a customizable schedule, they’ll be able to assist with things like afterschool care, sick days, and homework help. They also can assist with driving to-and-from activities, school, and more.
4. Work-Life Balance
Problem: Finding a healthy work-life balance can be challenging in the legal field, especially when you want to be there for your kids’ school events, activities, and simply spending quality time with them.
Au Pair Solution: When you can’t be at your child’s event or activity in person, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that another supportive family member, like your au pair, can be there to provide support.
5. Maternity and Paternity Leave
Problem: Legal firms and organizations vary in their policies regarding maternity and paternity leave, affecting the time you can spend bonding with and caring for your newborn.
Au Pair Solution: Going back to work can be a very sensitive time for new parents. If your firm or organization doesn’t have a robust parental leave policy, an au pair can be a great solution to ease any difficulties with re-entering the workplace. Did you know Au Pair in America offers Infant Qualified au pairs? These au pairs who are able to care for children younger than two years old, have a minimum of 200 hours of documented experience with children under the age of two.
6. Financial Pressures
Problem: The cost of legal education and student loan debt can be substantial, creating financial stress for parents trying to provide for their families while managing child care expenses.
Au Pair Solution: There’s tremendous value in welcoming an au pair into your heart and home as a parent. Not only can it be a cost-effective solution for families (with Au Pair in America, the cost to host an au pair is per family, not per child), but you’re also gaining so much! You’ll learn about another culture, eliminate the need for multiple child care providers, prevent having to use your PTO for things like sick days or snow days, have more uninterrupted time to focus on your career, and be able to save time for some self-care, too!
Being a parent and an attorney is complicated. Assistance with child care doesn’t have to be.
For parents who are attorneys who are trying to juggle their career and child care responsibilities, finding supportive employers, seeking flexible work arrangements, and building a strong support system can help alleviate some of these challenges — but we highly recommend hosting an au pair. Balancing the demands of the legal profession with your commitment to your children is an ongoing journey, but the flexibility and dependability of live-in child care can help.
Attorneys in need of child care can click the button below to learn more about hosting an au pair.
