The rising cost of housing and climbing daycare fees have created a unique subset in Squamish鈥檚 parent demographic 鈥� the 鈥渕ompreneur.鈥�
Managing hectic days, more mothers are working from home by juggling paid employment with taking care of their children. They are opening new home-based businesses, finding employers who cater to work-at-home moms, or altering their workload so it can be done away from the office. 听
Although the vast majority of mothers agree the benefits of living in 麻豆社国产far outweigh the drawbacks, there are challenges to living in a growing community.听
Jody Kramer, an animator and art teacher, runs her business remotely from home and attends in-person meetings when her husband is home in the evening or when her young daughters are in daycare one day a week.
Finding enough time in the day to get everything done, such as getting her daughters鈥� hair cut or going grocery shopping, is often tough for Kramer and other entrepreneurs.听
She finds transit in 麻豆社国产to be one of the biggest challenges during her busy day. 鈥淲e are a one-car family and the buses don鈥檛 run frequently enough. We have to plan far in advance to get anywhere,鈥� said Kramer, who lives in Valleycliffe. 鈥淲e have to find everything within walking distance 鈥� their daycare, the playground. I would like to put my daughter into French immersion but that鈥檚 downtown and would be too difficult to get to.鈥�
She is worried that her transit problems will get worse as the population increases in Squamish, which has become one of the fastest growing communities in B.C.听
Daniella Greer, a financial advisor who runs her business from home, balances work with taking care of her two-year-old daughter. Like many other entrepreneurs, she doesn鈥檛 have a nine-to-five job because her clients need help at all hours.听
鈥淎s a working mom, I can鈥檛 attend playgroups like Strong Start with my daughter because it doesn鈥檛 fit into my schedule,鈥� said Greer.
鈥淪ometimes I feel like I鈥檓 missing moments with my daughter, but I still need to work. Today, a lot of families need two people working to survive,鈥� she said.
Childcare availability and price have been Greer鈥檚 biggest challenges. So far, she鈥檚 only been able to find daycare three days a week, so her daughter is at home with her on Mondays and Fridays.听
鈥淚 can only work when she sleeps on those days. It鈥檚 tough, but I work it out.鈥�
Kramer echoes this, saying that while she loves being home with her children, she also doesn鈥檛 see many full-time job opportunities that would work with her life as a parent.听
鈥淲hen looking at a new job, I have to figure out if it will cover the cost of daycare, car payments and commuting. 麻豆社国产has limited opportunities in my field unless it鈥檚 work that鈥檚 done at home,鈥� she said.听
The rising cost of daycare is a major reason parents are finding creative ways to earn extra money while staying at home with their children.听
On average, daycare costs nearly $60 a day, which is $1,200 for full-time care per month, according to statistics kept by Sea to Sky Community Services. This number often climbs between $1,400 and $1,500 for children under three years old because it鈥檚 more expensive to run these programs.听
鈥淔inding care for children aged 12 to 36 months is extremely challenging,鈥� Lisa McIntosh, a child-care resource and referral consultant in Squamish.听
It鈥檚 not as easy as getting on a waitlist early, she said. Instead it often comes down to luck, depending on whether an appropriate spot opens up at the right time.
鈥淚 tell parents that they need to be a squeaky wheel. They must advocate for that spot for their child.鈥�
Commuting can make finding childcare even more difficult, since most daycares are only open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the latest.听
McIntosh has seen more nannies and au pairs being hired by families who are having a tough time finding daycare spots, but the exact numbers aren鈥檛 available because Sea to Sky Community Services isn鈥檛 involved in this kind of care.听
Marcia Kent, who works 12-hour shifts as a nurse while raising her six-year-old twins, says balancing work and home life can be difficult. To tackle the daily tasks, Kent and her husband have formed a strong team.听
鈥淚 sometimes feel like I don鈥檛 have anything left to give to myself because my energy is either spent between my family or my work, and the only person to blame for that is me,鈥� said Kent, who is the chair of Brackendale Elementary School鈥檚 Parent Advisory Committee. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a normal feeling most parents have, or health-care workers for that matter.鈥�
Still, she wouldn鈥檛 want to raise her children in any other community than Squamish.听
Although Kent owns a house, she knows many people in the community are unable to afford one. The benchmark price of single-family houses jumped 15.5 per cent since last year, to $642,800. That鈥檚 up 43 per cent from five years ago, according to the latest figures by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. The benchmark prices for townhouses and apartments also rose last year to $508,200 and $296,600, respectively.听
With mortgages or rent to pay, mothers are being extra creative with finding ways to make money. They want their families to stay in Squamish, praising the district鈥檚 abundant outdoor activities and closeknit community.听
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There is one quote in particular that Kent says sums up being a mother: 鈥淭he feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one鈥檚 children as if one did not have a job.鈥�
