People are shocked to learn that I opened the shop while my kid is only 16 months old. "How are you making it work?" they ask.
The simplest answer is childcare.
Any time I’m working it's because at that very moment, someone else is caring for my child. (Of course, this is also true for any dad who works long hours). The reason Acorn Craft Shop is able to exist is because of childcare! A lot of it!
Care work is necessary for society to function. Yet for some reason it's seen as normal that the more your work benefits others, the less likely you are to be paid well for it. Our community discount for full time caretakers, including parents, is a small way saying that we don't just appreciate it; we need the work that you are doing.
Raising a young kid is not its own job, it is its own world. Full time parents know this best of all, but so do parents who work away from their kids.
Every position is filled with struggles, compromises, and what-ifs. In addition to childcare, the other thing that makes the shop work is the fact that I'm away from my baby more than I would like. I'm very grateful to my staff who are the reason I'm not missing every bed time. Some days are hard, but I'm immensely grateful that on my second mother's day, I will be able to celebrate opening the store with help from my own mom, my mother-in-law, and the moms from the neighborhood.
Here’s to the moms who are making it work! It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.