‘Struggling’ Mom Hires A Private Driver To Get Her First Grader To School While She Stays Home With Her Newborn — ‘I Need All The Help I Can Get’
It takes a village!
Zoteva | Shutterstock An overwhelmed mom has received backlash after adjusting her morning routine to make things run more smoothly for her family. Apparently, her decision to hire a private driver to take her eldest daughter to school while she stays home with the baby has rubbed some of her family members the wrong way.
However, she defended her decision, claiming that if she had the means to make her mornings easier, why wouldn't she?
The mom hired a private driver to take her daughter to school while she stayed home with her newborn.
Kristina Fortuna, a mother of two who is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her second child, has found mornings to be incredibly difficult. With her eldest daughter in first grade and a baby who loathes car rides, escorting her daughter to school has been no easy feat.
To make things easier for everyone, Fortuna decided to hire a driver to take her daughter to school.
“We decided to hire a private driver to take my daughter to school. With a newborn who hates the car seat and screams the whole ride, it’s just too much stress for all of us to handle every morning,” Fortuna shared in a TikTok video.
The struggling mom said her decision to pay for a driver to take her first grader to school has resulted in mom-shaming.
“Of course, a close relative shamed me, saying we’re wasting money and that ‘everyone does it themselves’ without help,” Fortuna revealed.
She found the relative’s unsolicited comment offensive, as investing in what’s best for your family is never a waste of money if you have the means to do so.
“Honestly, I’d rather invest in peace of mind and avoid feeling overwhelmed,” Fortuna said. “I’m already struggling to keep it together, and I don’t want to let my stress affect my support for my first grader.”
Antonio_Diaz | Canva Pro
The mom included a sweet clip of her daughter’s driver picking her up from their apartment and carrying her backpack while she zipped excitedly to the car.
Since she will be returning to work in a few weeks, Fortuna said she will need all the help with childcare she can get.
Still, she asked others if they thought it was impractical to hire a driver and if she should drive her daughter to school herself, even if it means having to deal with an unhappy infant.
“What would YOU be willing to pay for to make life easier instead of doing it yourself?” she asked.
Most people validated the struggling mom's decision, agreeing that if parents have the means to do so, they should invest in help when they need it.
“Let them talk. I think it's great you found a way to make your life easier. I used to drive kids to school it was fun,” one TikTok user commented.
“This isn’t any different than having a babysitter/nanny drive your children to school or activities,” another TikTok user noted.
“I pay my sister-in-law to do pickup for me and it's so nice not having to rush out the door in the mornings!” another shared.
“[This is] not uncommon, I’m a receptionist at a school and there’s a couple students who have drivers, one for this same reason,” another added.
Morning routines for parents who have to send their children off to school are already stressful enough, especially when you add a fussy newborn to the mix.
Natalia Lebedinskaia | Shutterstock
The chaos can leave parents feeling frazzled, and children stressed. These kids end up showing arriving at school missing their lunchbox, homework, or even a shoe. It can be easy to forget the essential supplies amid the morning madness.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help when you find yourself overwhelmed with childcare responsibilities. Parenting is already hard enough — why make it even more difficult when you don’t have to?
Having a driver is a win-win for both mom and daughter in this scenario.
Mom doesn’t have the stress of rushing her first grader and cranky newborn out the door and daughter can enjoy her ride to school listening to whatever music she pleases instead of an infant screeching on repeat!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.