I paid my friend's 12-year-old to play with my little ones while I did housework. For months, it was a lifeline.

Detailed summary

Paying my friend's tween son to play with my little kids for a few hours was cheaper than a babysitter, and the arrangement was a win-win for us all.

Parenting through a pandemic was not part of my plan. In mid-March 2020, our province shut down all schools, and life as we knew it. My 5-year-old son had just started a new preschool, but now he'd be spending all his time at home with his 2-year-old sister and me. Between all of the restrictions, we spent most days trapped inside our townhouse. I was no stranger to solo parenting, but pre-pandemic I had my methods to keep sane — attend a local Moms & Tots group, visit the playground, see our friends for playdates, attend evening book club, use a drop-off program designed for moms to spend time together without kids, and bring the kids to storytime at the library.

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