- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Shopping with Toddlers in Tow?
The Benefits of Starting a Holiday Babysitting Co-op
By Shannon McKelden
Shopping at holiday time, between the crowds and the detailed list you're trying to whittle down as quickly as possible, becomes nearly unmanageable when you try to do it with a baby or toddler in tow. Leaving them with a sitter is a logical choice, right? But gone are the days of one-dollar-an-hour teen babysitters.
How about an alternative that includes free babysitting? How about starting a babysitting co-op?
"At holiday time, a babysitting co-op really takes the pressure off your limited time away from home," says Kelly Duenckel, president of Burbank Kids' Club, a co-op of moms in Burbank, Calif., and mother of three boys. "You can rush in and out of stores, bypassing the store's bathroom (cleanliness always questionable) and food court. You can purchase toys for other children without being guilted into buying one for your own kids and/or buying toys that you wouldn't even dream of being in the same aisle with if you had your kids with you."
If the above sounds like a dream come true, you might want to give a co-op a try. But what exactly is a babysitting co-op? Briefly, a co-op is a group of moms (though dads can definitely participate) who trade babysitting on a points system. Every hour you sit for someone else's child or children earns you points, which you can then redeem for sitting time for your children.
When Gary Myers' wife joined the University Place Co-op in Washington state, they found it a huge relief. "I was also impressed that it had been going for 20 years without a pioneering leader," Myers says. He examined the structure and operation of the co-op and ended up writing a book, Smart Mom's Baby Sitting Co-op Handbookz (Tukwila Publishing, 2000).
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
