This summer just about did me in.

I have officially launched my consulting business, a more agressive step above freelancing which means that I suddenly needed actual time to focus — calls to take, client work to deliver, systems to build. All the things that don’t happen in the 15 minutes between snack requests. And meanwhile, I am home with my toddler.

If you’re a work-from-home mom, you get it. Everyone assumes because you’re home, you don’t need childcare. But the truth? You can’t grow a business or stay sane while also being on-call for a toddler all day.

We are so lucky to have help from my mom and mil, and I will always be grateful for that. But even with their support, I still needed a little more consistent time. I could also feel my toddler starting to go stir crazy.

Because here’s the thing: working with him from 3 months to a year old was one thing. Babies nap. Babies sit and coo while you answer emails. But as we get closer to 2… it’s just a different ball game. He straight up will close my laptop some days and demand I give him attention, and I honestly don’t blame him!

That’s when I saw posts on TikTok that ended up being a total lifeline: gym childcare.

The childcare puzzle no one talks about

Let’s be real — traditional daycare wasn’t an option for us and it isn’t for most. Since my layoff last year, we didn’t really want to go full time daycare if I wasn’t picking up full time work, but the average parents are up against waitlists, cost, and the full-time commitment, and like everyone else, that just doesn’t fit the stage of life we’re in.

When you start googling “work from home mom childcare” or “affordable childcare alternatives,” the options feel limited. Drop-in centers are expensive, nanny-shares are complicated, and parent swaps sound great in theory but are really hard to pull off when you’re already stretched thin.

So when I realized that Lifetime Fitness membership included childcare and that they built out a co-working space? It was like a little lightbulb moment.

How Lifetime’s childcare actually works

Here’s the deal:

• You get up to 2.5 hours of childcare per day.
• It’s staffed and safe.
• It’s part of your membership fee, so way cheaper than most part-time options.

For me, that has translated into anywhere between 15 minutes on a bad day, to up to 2.5 golden hours in a day. We grab coffee, get out the door and drive down the street to Lifetime. I drop my toddler off, put swim stuff in the locker for our “lunch break”, and head to the co-working space (ours is a hallway with tables, but some Lifetime’s have a truly dedicated space), and crank out whatever needed my attention most. Client deliverables, proposals, marketing my own business — all the stuff that required actual focus that I can’t be pulled from.

For me it’s less about productivity, more about building a routine, and feeling like myself again. If I am caught up on work, there are some days i just go upstairs to the gym after drop off to actually workout.

Why it worked for us right now

I know gym childcare isn’t perfect or right for everyone. But for us, in this season, it checked every box:

• It was affordable.
• It was consistent.
• It was flexible.

And maybe most importantly, it gave me the ability to show up fully for both parts of my life. I could give my business the attention it needed and come home ready to give my toddler the attention he deserved. After a lay off, I am really heavy the last year on work life balance. Plus, we did have access to the pool all summer long and got roped into swim lessons but that is neither here nor there lol.

Other options I looked at

If you don’t have a Lifetime near you, don’t stress — there are other options that might work:

• YMCA childcare (their daily limits are lower I believe)
• Local rec centers with drop-in care.
• Parent co-ops where you trade off hours.
• Drop-in centers if your budget allows.

I just wish more of us talked about how we are navigating this, even if it is un-traditional. I have downshifted my career and we have made many life changes to accomodate the work life balance I have found this year and I don’t really know enough wfh moms (other than my internet friends I have found, lol) to even continue the discussion.

If you’re in the early stages of working from home with an infant, just know it’s about what gets you through this season, and every few months, what that looks like completely changes.

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@bymeganvwest

Morning vlog! We were a hot mess today but honestly very thankful for the days I get 2 hours of work in >> #lifetime #lifetimechildcare #lifetimechildcenter #workingmom #wfhmom #parttimework

♬ original sound – Megan West | WFH Mom