Cooperative Babysitting

I've been wanting to post about something near and dear to my heart for a while now. Since I seem to be in a bit of a blogging funk these past few months, I guess now is as good a time as any to introduce you to......

Babysitting Co-Op

But not just any babysitting co-op. THE co-op. When I first moved into my ward (church group) I heard rumors flying about the co-op. I had no idea what people were talking about. So one day I asked. And I was told of the glorious wonder that would soon become part of my daily life. And I immediately put my name on the waiting list.

Last summer I was able to secure one of the ten spots on the much coveted list because someone decided to drop out. Excitement and anticipation of hours shopping, getting my hair done, or reading a book--all without my children--filled my dreams.

So do you want to hear how it works? Do you? Well, I'll tell you.

You see for this particular co-op, you need ten committed moms. The co-op session goes with the school calendar, Monday-Friday. Each mom has an assigned shift, and each shift lasts for three hours. So there are two moms for each day, one for the morning shift (9-12), and one for the afternoon shift (12:30-3:30). You commit to being home each week on your assigned day and making yourself available to anyone wanting to bring their kids over. But if no one needs you, you are not required to stay at home past a 30 minute window at the beginning of your shift. The shifts are rotated every two months so everyone gets an opportunity with different days. There is a payment system in place. Each mom starts out with 30 hours worth of tickets. The tickets are labeled as "1 hour" and "1/2 hour." So you "pay" one ticket per hour per kid you drop off. The more kids you watch on your assigned day, the more tickets you earn to use at your leisure!

And here's the best part, you can drop off your kid for any reason!! I have dropped my kids off to come home and do laundry! And just yesterday, I used co-op so I could go running. Sometimes Reese wants to play, so I say "let's see who's on co-op!" and she gets a play date and I get a break, and my friend gets a ticket! See? Everyone wins!

Ours runs like a well-oiled machine. We communicate by email and each mom is responsible to find a replacement for their shift if something comes up. And usually every week there is some switching, because let's face it, life happens.

It is so nice to know that if I need to go anywhere during the school day, my kids have a place to go and I don't feel like I am putting anyone out. The only bummer is when school is out for the summer and we take a break. I could really use some co-op time then!

Genius, I tell ya. Thanks K.V. for starting one here, it's been a lifesaver!!