People ask how I manage 6 kids and caring for 3 relatives. I work a second job and barely get time to myself.

Kaitlin Manns with her grandmother (second left), mom, and stepdad. She works as a health aide to all three. Courtesy of Kaitlin Manns Kaitlin Manns is a home health aide for three older family members. She works 38 hours a week at $18.50 an hour, taking care of them in turns. The mom-of-six, who also cares for two siblings, is employed at a bar and grill on weekends, too. This story is based on an interview with Kaitlin Manns, 33, a home health aide and server from Granite City, Illinois. It has been edited for length and clarity. My grandpa employed a carer before he died at 76. And my grandma, 76, mom, and stepdad, both 56 — all of whom have chronic medical conditions — had them, too. They were wonderful, but they ended up leaving for better-paid jobs.