Last week, I was fortunate enough to get an appointment at my doctor’s office the same day I called. My little one and I went to my neighbor’s house, intending to take advantage of a recent babysitting offer. She wasn’t there. The other neighbor we thought of was on her way out the door. Unable to think of anyone else to help get me out of this pinch, but bound and determined to keep the appointment, I packed books, toys and an array of snacks, and buckled my daughter into her car-seat.

When the doctor came into the room to examine my throat, we were sitting on the floor, reading. Snacks and juice-box were carefully laid out on my coat, which we were using as a picnic blanket. I tried to pay attention to my conversation with the doctor, while keeping a watchful eye on my child, whose curiosity about the room's various cabinets and drawers was getting the best of her. Later, we both climbed onto the table. I held her in my lap with a thermometer in my mouth and the little one’s head resting on my chest. Good grief, I thought, staring at the ceiling tiles. If there were other moms in the waiting room, they had obviously found a more suitable childcare solution.

I wish I had known about backup childcare services. I will certainly breathe easier next time I have to spend a couple of hours at the mechanic's, have my teeth cleaned, or take a kickboxing class. Backup services are often available through childcare centers, and sometimes through agencies specifically designed to enable parents to get their annual auto inspection, get their hair cut, or just take a break from being the One In Charge long enough to be the Patient.

Tricia Wellington is the mother of a preschooler. She is also the founder of www.little-turnips.com, an online parenting resource for for one-parent families, and Sweet Girl's Cookie Press, maker of "The homemade chocolate chip cookie as it should be."

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