Exclusive | Forget Mom and Dad – Gen Z, millennial moms are bringing babies to job interviews

It’s a parenting trend that gives mommy-and-me a whole new meaning.

Millennial and Gen Z moms are bringing their babies to job interviews in a bid to combat rising childcare costs — insisting that any company that doesn’t value or understand their role as a mother doesn’t deserve them.

“It takes hours of planning,” says Melissa Riling, 35, a working mom from the Hudson Valley who sends her little tagalongs to meet potential bosses.

“I feed him, dress him in a matching outfit, set up his activity center, or find something to watch for screen time. It’s intense.”

She has applied for a variety of positions since the beginning of the year, meeting with potential employers both in person and via Zoom while her 11-month-old son plays, nibbles or takes a nap nearby. Each time, she has made the hiring managers aware that her child will be in withdrawal.

“Child care is too expensive to get every time I interview for a job that’s not guaranteed,” Riling tells The Post.

As a mom of many stripes who specializes in event design, floral care and modeling, Riling is just one of the many cost-conscious moms pulling double duty these days.

While childless Gen Zs—entering the corporate world between the ages of 18 and 27—are asking their parents to join them in job interviews for support, new moms within the demographic (and some who are thirties, like Riling ) are bringing their babies with them.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers child care affordability to be a cost that does not exceed seven percent of a family’s income, according to a recent study by Robin Hood and Columbia University.

Researchers found that in New York City, the average annual cost of foster care services — support provided either at home or at a child-friendly center — is about $12,900.

Unfortunately, the staggering cost makes adequate child care unaffordable for 52% of NYC families, including both high- and low-income families, according to the report.

Investigators also determined that 70% of Gotham’s youngest babies, from under one year old to toddlers up to age 4, live in “child care deserts,” or neighborhoods without an adequate number of providers. licensed childcare.

But the struggle is not limited to the residents of the Big Apple.

A September survey commissioned by BabyCenter, an online parenting hub, surveyed 2,000 mothers nationwide to find that the average cost of childcare can top $14,608 a year.

It’s a strain on 76% of US family budgets, the data says, which also shows that 14% of parents spend more on childcare than on their rent or mortgage.

More shockingly, moms and dads with two kids can pay over $30,000 for childcare each year, according to a 2023 study on excess spending.

But for Riling, whose partner works full-time and whose parents live more than 90 minutes away, the high fees aren’t worth the fuss — especially given the uncertainty of interviews.

So far, the brunette has not reached the position of her dreams. But she’s not giving up on the mother-and-child interview style.

“I don’t want a job that doesn’t want to hire parents,” Riling said. “I wouldn’t want to put myself in a company structure that isn’t designed for parents.”

“That sounds like quite the headache.”

Ashley Ramos, a married mother of one, agrees.

“If I really wanted to get a job, I would bring my daughter with me,” said the 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida.

“We new mothers are growing up with our children,” added Ramos, a professional sports trainer who is currently expecting her second child. “And [jobs] that they don’t respect is something we don’t care about.”

Ramos’ military husband, Gabriel, often travels for work. Thus, she has taken their two-year-old daughter, Eliana, with her to job interviews since she was three months old.

For the busy mother, who has held positions as a college admissions coordinator and early childhood education teacher — and landed both jobs with Eliana at her hip — juggling motherhood and the job search is like second nature.

“I had to change dirty diapers, take care of him if he wakes up,” said Ramos. “I just make it work.”

Even mother Marjorie Merida, 28, does the work with her 18-month-old son Santiago by her side.

“It’s almost never made clear that you can’t bring your children to an interview,” said Merida, a married social worker from Baltimore.

Instead of grimacing, she says most potential bosses frown upon her cheerful package.

“They’re usually very lenient about it,” said the career-minded mom, who recently ended her job search after becoming pregnant with twin girls. “[Santiago’s] usually just on my lap or walking around the conference room.”

“Nobody seems to mind,” she laughed. “People really love babies.”

And a love of young children is a requirement for any company hoping to recruit Merida to its team.

“Or catch me [with my child]- she said, – or you won’t understand me at all.