We Co-Operate!
Jul 31 '00
What is a solution for parents who don't need childcare everyday? We found an answer---a Babysitting Co-op. We have been members of a co-op for about six months and we love it. Whether we want to go out with friends, run errands without children, or go to a doctor appointment alone, our co-op provides us with the opportunity to do these things.
There are several advantages in belonging to a co-op. First, our children are watched by a family, not just a teenager. Even though we have had some responsible teenagers watch our children, I have more peace about leaving my boys in the care of adults. Secondly, childcare is FREE! What else can I say about that? We simply watch other children when it is convenient to make up the hours we used. Thirdly, we are getting to "date" again. Because we are saving money on childcare, we get to out more often--just the two of us. Finally, finding a sitter is not a hassle. We either send out an e-mail to the whole group or we make a few phone calls. It really is that simple.
Before joining an established co-op or beginning one yourself, you need to spend some time doing research. We began by looking on the internet. We found a wide variety of co-ops, from those which had no set of written rules, to those which had an intensive application process. We also talked with some friends who belonged to a co-op and asked questions. We think a co-op works best if you find a group of people that you have something in common with. For example, maybe you can find a co-op with parents from your child's school or pre-school, a church , or perhaps even a civic group. Before joining a co-op, ask the director if you can join their next get together and check out the other families. This way you'll get a feel for the group and will be able to ask questions. If you can find a co-op that meets your families needs, and you feel comfortable with the other participants, then it would be easier to join an established co-op then to create a new one. However, we didn't find a co-op that met our needs, or had all the rules and procedures that we liked, so we began our own.
At this time we haven't experienced any major problems with our co-op. We have however had a couple of glitches. We have found that as a beginning co-op we should be meeting for a pot-luck lunch more often to allow new families a chance to meet existing families. We also had to limit the number of participating families to twelve until we get all of the details worked out. Overall, the benefits of belonging in a co-op have out-weighed any glitches we have had.
We love Co-Operating! Maybe you will too!
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Epinions.com ID:
julieagee
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Member: Julie Agee
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 5 members
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