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Babysitting Co-ops
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The idea of a babysitting co-op is simple: a group of parents take turns babysitting each other's kids. In practice, co-ops can be more complicated because they require accounting and scheduling. The upside to this extra work, though, is that your babysitting bill is zero and you can leave your child with caregivers you know and trust.
To start a co-op, ask friends and neighbors or advertise for interested parents. It's best if families in the co-op live nearby, and it's ideal if they have kids the same age as your own.
Once you've chosen the families, come up with an agreement about how the co-op will work. Here are a few examples of things you'll want to...
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What are the perks of joining a babysitting co-op?
Babysitting co-ops can provide a night out with just you and your partner -- wouldn't that be nice? When a group of parents come together to assist each other in childcare, it often gives them more time to spend together. Parents can get together and assign a rotation that allows other parents a couple of nights out a month. And everyone wins because not only are you getting alone time with your partner, your children are getting social time with their friends. Just make sure that you are in a trustworthy group and the details are drawn up so that everyone involved feels the deal is safe, fair, and cooperative.
Do you think it's a good idea to do a sort of "rule book" for the co-op, a code of conduct?
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Bigger is not better
I tried to start one of these awhile ago. At first it was great -- who doesn't want free childcare? But the bigger our group got the more of a headache it was to keep going. Once, I was supposed to babysit a friend's toddler, but she... read more
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August 16, 2007
Oops!
I meant to write 3, not 2 (kiddies, that is).Not Acceptable?