Teaching Private Lessons When You've Got Kiddos

I believe it's one of the ultimate juggling acts that most people ever struggle with: how to balance work and family.  The answer, of course, varies greatly from person to person.  I am not going to attempt to delve into this deeply complicated topic.  BUT, I will attempt to talk about something related that is a concern for myself and many of my friends/colleagues who are moms/dads and private teachers.  What do you do with the baby while you're teaching??  I realize this post may not apply to everyone (or maybe these ideas are super obvious), but because it is such an important question for those to whom it does apply, I've decided to take the time to see if we can find some solutions.

A few things to consider:

• It may take some trial and error to find what works for you, and maybe a combination of different things might be best. 
• The baby's needs will change as he/she grows, and you may need to readjust as you go. 
• Your needs may differ based on where you teach (in your home, your students' homes, an outside studio, a school...) 
• Also, your needs may differ based on how many children you have/their ages, and how many students you have.

I've talked with fellow teachers and considered my own experience, and it has all seemed to boil down to the following basic starting points:

1. Have the other parent watch the baby.  This worked for me with my first baby because my husband and I were both students, so his schedule allowed him to be home in the afternoons.  If the other parent works during prime teaching time, you can try teaching evenings or weekends.  This option may not always be possible with busy schedules, or if the other parent is otherwise unavailable.
2. Keep the baby with you while teaching.  This worked well for my mom.  When the baby is young, he can be in a sling or a baby seat, or lying on a blanket nearby with toys.  This may not work with a high maintenance baby or older children.
3. Hire a babysitter.  My private teacher growing up did an exchange with me.  I received discounted lessons in exchange for watching her kids a few times a week.
4. Nap time teaching.  I know another teacher who worked her teaching schedule around her baby's afternoon naps.  This may not work if your baby's nap time is unpredictable.

Again, I don't think there's one option that's right for everyone, and you may need to try and combine different things to find the best route for you.

There may be other options that I haven't encountered as I've asked around.  What things have worked for you or people you know?