American students are 'renting-a-mom' to help with day-to-day functions in new cities and it's a huge hit

Moving to another city or state for education is a huge step. It is the first time for many students as far as being away from home is concerned. They have to deal with everything alone, which can be overwhelming. These students often need some guidance, which their guardians cannot provide as they are miles away. During such times services like "rent a mom" come in handy. In these services, the company assigns you a person, who helps you to get your life in order. It has changed the lives of many students in America and such companies are seeing a huge surge in demand, as reported by PEOPLE.

The objective of these companies is to assist students in achieving the dreams they had when they stepped into the city and not compromise on them. Concierge Services for Students (CSS), an organization active in Boston, prides itself on providing round-the-clock service to its clients. According to The Wall Street Journal, they charge $10,000 each academic year. To maintain their quality of service, the company does not accept more than 30 clients in one year. The demand for this service in universities is clear, as 75% of this company's clientele are students.

The services of CSS include personal help such as laundry, grocery shopping and banking. Also, it provides school assistance, from campus acclimation to tutoring to course selection and housing issues, such as apartment hunting and moving aid. All of these tasks are a bit difficult to handle when a person is new in town. Moreover, the schedule with school in play is jampacked for students, which makes doing such activities satisfactorily harder. Through help from their hired assistants, they can pursue things they wish to do for their careers rather than worry about domestic maintenance.

Joan Alfond and Tamara Kumin, co-founders of CSS, came up with the idea when they saw their kids struggling with moving to a new place for studies. Whenever they came to visit rather than having quality time, they were involved in all these issues. It caused them to "recogniz[ing] the need for these students to have a 'mom away from home.'" In their opinion, their services strengthen the relationship between parents and their children, as they have more time to enjoy each other's company rather than struggle with maintenance and living situations.

Mindy Horwitz, founder of mindyKNOWS, had a similar experience. She also saw the issues parents and children were facing at Washington University and decided to create something to help, according to WSJ and The Daily Northwestern. The parents were mainly facing trouble in getting information regarding local pursuits, so Mindy decided to come up with the idea of giving an assistant or guide to help children through those pursuits. It will aid children in finishing the task and making parents free of their worries.

"We started this business in 2019 as a service to parents," a spokesperson for mindyKNOWS told the outlet about the objectives of the company. They also share how their "expert" knowledge "can help alleviate the stress of navigating a new town." The organization has been happy with their progress, as the reaction to them has been overwhelmingly positive. They charge $450 per academic year (plus delivery fees) or $1,600 for four years. They started with Washington University but now provide their services at Northwestern University, for $500 per year, as well as Skidmore College and University of Hartford, each costing $450 per year. It helps children to enjoy their new phase of life and not regret missing out on anything.

Rachelle Arnold runs her "rent a mom" service at the University of Tampa. She has named it Daisy Bug Delivery, according to WSJ and FOX affiliate WSVN. Arnold shares how she and her employees are personally invested in their clients and their successes. "I will come and get you. It's free. I love. I don't judge," Arnold told WSVN. "We don't tell the parents unless there's a safety issue involved." The wishes of the clients are the no.1 priority.

Daisy Bug Delivery's charges are similar to CSS. They also give customized services to students. Some customized services are pre-scheduled airport transportation, pet sitting, assistance with urgent care and emergency room visits. These services have garnered criticism for making students more dependent. One of the biggest learnings a new place can provide an individual is independence. These services might be sheltering the students a bit too much.

Heather Metz, who runs mindyKNOWS at the Northwestern campus, told The Daily Northwestern that she does not adhere to this criticism, "I don't think we're hand-holding. I mean, I'm not ironing sheets." A similar sentiment was presented by Horowitz, "I think some people might have the wrong impression that we are preventing students from becoming independent." A spokesperson for the company further clarified, "Our students are independent thinkers and [they] navigate their own college experience. We simply help fill in the holes on behalf of the parents."