Q: What are some creative babysitting solutions for my Bunch (ie, babysitting co-op with your friends)?
A: Ah yes, babysitting. Remember the days when you babysat for kids and charged some ungodly low rate to sit and watch TV Those days seem to be long gone. When you've got a Bunch, we bet there are not a ton of sitters lining up at your door to babysit your two under two. We're not going to sugar coat it, finding good, reliable, affordable sitters can be a challenge when you're kids are wee ones.
You probably have different needs for childcare: dinner out with hubby, doctor's appointments, errands, break from kids. Even if you don't have a regular sitter, there definitely are some creative options to getting what you need.
A babysitting co-op is probably the most guilt free way to get free, reliable babysitting. Many mom's groups have these already established so ask around. The basic principle is you sign up with a group of other moms. You earn points for babysitting and use points by having someone else babysit your kids. The best part is there are sites like Babysitter Exchange that manage all of this for you. This model is nice because daytime sitting means your kids probably get a play date out of the gig.
Along the same idea of a co-op is a type of babysitting playgroups. This is a group of moms and their kids of similar ages. Two moms together watch a group of kids while the other two-three moms go run errands or schedule appointments. It's hectic but if everyone chips in then you only have to "work it" every few weeks.
If you don't have a large group of mom friends for this, consider swapping babysitting favors with a friend or neighbor. Especially when it's evening sitting, moms are usually OK with curling up on a book at someone else's house while mom and dad go out. If your neighbors all have grown kids, befriend a grandmotherly type. You'd be surprised how an almost empty nester might be willing to watch your kids for a few hours one afternoon as a treat rather than a chore.
Another untapped resource is the au pair market. Many of the au pairs come to work for families with school-aged kids. Hiring one to pick up extra work between 9 to 3 means you get a good quality, legal, trained, kid-friendly sitter for a decent price. Others have stayed on to complete school or pick up an extra degree and have better hours available for sitting. They are better suited for taking care of multiple kids.
If you have a school-aged child in your neighborhood (12-16), a mother's helper is another option. We tend to not recommend you go too far with these younger gals, but most are great at helping you when you're in the home and just needing some time to get things done. Or if you have a doctor's appointment, bring them along to help you out. Sometimes all you need is another set of hands. They tend to charge around $5 an hour so it's an option you may want to explore.
Don't forget your gym! Most gym child care centers give you two hours to work out. I know moms (including myself) who bring their laptop to the gym after a work out and follow up on emails, take care of some business or return phone calls. This is a perfect way to get a few minutes to yourself and maybe even have a cup of coffee. The cost is usually built in to your membership, and if not, isn't $1 an hour worth it?
Any other great ideas we missed, let us know.
I just wanted to suggest some additional babysitter solutions that I found helpful: www.phoneababysitter.com, www.care.com, and http://www.locanto.com/babysitter/104/
Posted by: Anna | Apr 26, 2010 at 08:21 AM