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Shopping with Toddlers in Tow?
The Benefits of Starting a Holiday Babysitting Co-op
By Shannon McKelden
The co-ops mentioned here all thrive with a set of rules and guidelines clearly mapped out. "You must have a written set of guidelines/rules and review them with each new member and at the meetings," Duenckel says. "You should have mandatory meetings and/or get-togethers because unanticipated problems can crop up and you want them dealt with as quickly as possible. Everyone must agree to follow, for example, the co-op's policy on no spanking, no yelling, etc. Everyone must agree to follow no taking or requesting sits where there are sick children and what constitutes a 'sick child.'"
Another "must" for a co-op is that families should live close by to maximize sitting time and minimize driving time. Safety issues should also be taken into consideration (the job of an advisory panel), and homes of all participants should be inspected and properly insured. It's also a great idea to have an Authorization to Treat form for emergencies and emergency contact information for each child.
Myers suggests you begin small. "The best thing is to grow slowly and to make sure the moms that you invite to join live close and share your parenting style," he says.
The key to Myers' Smart Mom's co-op is that the mom who has used the most points is the first called and offered to do the next sit. "This allows the mom to earn more points so she can continue to call for another sit," Myers says. "Other types of co-ops get unbalanced. One mom runs out of poker chips [points], another mom has too many chips."
The biggest benefit of a co-op is, of course, the "free factor."
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