What parents are talking about

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been talking to a lot of parents about what’s hard and what they’re doing to stay sane.

By far, the number one thing they bring up is the overwhelming number of tasks that fill their days. There’s never enough time for everything.

One parent put it perfectly:
"It took me a while to realize that time, not money, is my most valuable asset."

The rise of “parental automation”

We’re moving beyond outsourcing. Parents are starting to see their lives the way CEOs see companies—identifying what actually needs their time and attention and outsourcing the rest.

This is “Parental Automation”: using people, tech, and services to handle life’s logistics.

Some parents set an annual goal: find five more things to delegate.

It’s not just about convenience; it’s about reclaiming energy. When you’re spending five minutes here and 15 minutes there on endless to-dos, it adds up.

In fact, studies show that parents spend an average of 2.5-3 hours per day on household tasks and shopping. And somehow, some people even manage to fit in 3-4 hours of leisure time. (Who are these people?!)

4 categories to hack your life

Here are four key areas where parents are automating their lives.

🏡 Home Simplifiers

✅ Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping: AI-powered meal planning & automated grocery delivery (Ollie, Maple, Cart Drop)
✅ Meal Prep: Hiring a personal chef or fully prepped meal delivery (Sakara, Blue Apron, CookUnity)
✅ Household Assistants: Finding an in-home helper for laundry, errands, and organizing (Facebook Groups, Thumbtack, Craigslist)

🤖 Digital Assistants

✅ Virtual Admins: AI-powered scheduling, research, and appointment booking (Sundays, Yohana)
✅ Homework Help: Apps that give kids instant answers & explanations (Brainly)
✅ Family Calendars: AI-powered reminders for school events, RSVPs, and doctor’s appointments (Ohai, Maple)

👩‍👦 Parenting Experts on Demand

✅ Life Stage Experts: Paying experts like potty and sleep experts to handle these painful life stages
✅ Teen Mentors: Hiring high school/college students to engage with kids in shared interests instead of traditional babysitting
✅ Manners Coaches: Programs that teach kids table manners & social confidence like cotillion programs

🎉 IRL Experiences

✅ Fun Concierge: Someone who schedules all of your family outings, vacations, and kids' social events
✅ Birthday Planning: AI or human assistants that handle gift lists, RSVPs, and event logistics
✅ Family Bonding: Services like Parint that make it easy for parents and kids to have fun and connect without the planning

ChatGPT tells me that if you outsourced everything listed above, it would cost $1,500 to $3,000+ per month. Reasonable? That is up to you to decide.

The mindset shift

For some, outsourcing is second nature. Maybe you grew up with it, or you’ve earned enough to feel comfortable with it.

But for others, it’s a struggle. One mom I spoke to grew up in an immigrant household where every dollar was scrutinized. Spending money on something you could do yourself? No way.

he told me it took years to shift her mindset, but once she saw the payoff, she was hooked. Now, she’s making it a goal to outsource as much of home life as possible, including cleaning, food, scheduling, and more.

What will you do with that time?

Once you start outsourcing, you might expect to have hours of free time. That’s both true and false.

Yes, you’ll no longer be buried in these tasks. But time has a way of filling itself.

The real question is—what will you fill it with? A hobby? Time outside? Sitting in your child’s room and playing a game for once? Taking a much-needed nap?

At Parint, we believe that time isn’t just about having more of it. It’s about using it in ways that actually matter. We make it easy for families to step out of the daily grind and into meaningful connection, without adding more to their plates.

So tell me—what’s one thing you’d happily outsource?