Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook: How We Solved the Baby-Sitter Puzzle

By Gary Myers

This book is for a mother of preschoolers who wants time out to better care for herself, her family, and her friends. Do the start up in one hour with three friends. Then slowly have others join. When... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967874807
• ISBN13: 9780967874807
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Tukwila Publishing
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Created Successful Co-op Using This As a Guide

1) The very best advice in the book was: Create the co-op, invite members to a meeting to start it and ask them for feedback / changes to the organization because meeting to discuss organizing means it will likely never get off the ground. I did this and it was fantastic. 2) Figure out how to build checks and balances in to ensure that sits are tracked accurately 3) Plan for it to end in 5 years OR to continually grow - once the kids start school, the nature of the organization will change. (I literally do not remember the writing style nor do I care - take the good ideas and ignore the rest. It is a product of its time.) I wanted to formalize babysitting trading with a small group of people I already knew for a few reasons - not the least of which was the isolation new parents feel. When you try to book a park date with a new acquaintance and you have to cancel for a (pick your reason) weather / sick child / sick parent / other unanticipated issue more than 1-2 times, you stop inviting people and then are more isolated than before. To build and maintain our community, I asked a few families I knew to join the co-op after creating a google sheets points tracker page. Eventually we added more friends, capping the membership at 10 families We had mom's nights out every 3 months to connect without the kiddos Eventually people in the co-op started skill sharing in exchange for points which alleviated the discrepancies as those who were able to babysit more than others could spend their points on more that just childcare (wills by the attorney in the group, house-sitting, birthday cakes, pet care, etc) For anyone interested in reducing the isolation and costs of living, this is a great resource. #MutualAid #SkillSharing #FreeCycle #BuyNothing #Community

Co-op Member for over 2 years!

I have been a Smart Moms Co-op member for over two years. WE LOVE the co-op. Extra playdates. Evening dates with trusted childcare. Guilt-free me-time. Connection with other moms. I can't immagine my life without the relationships I've formed through this great group of friends. My children beg for more playdates. "Mom, don't you want some time for yourself?" This book gives you the directions for getting a co-op started. You could do it without the book -- but having the structures already created (point system etc) is VERY VALUABLE when you're a busy mom. Though most moms in the co-op are full-time at-home moms, that is not a requirement. Any mom can participate. I highly recommend this book for those seriously interested in starting a co-op and exchanging sits.

A must have for moms who need babysitters!!

I found out about this book and the idea of a co-op when the author, Gary Myers, and his wife, Patty, came and spoke at our MOPS meeting. I was hooked on the idea of free time for me and appointments without my son. I was new to our area and had no baby-sitting options at that time. Two ladies from our MOPS group took control and had our co-op up and running within one month and we had 16 moms. Our co-op has been working great for 5 months and has grown to 19 moms, with many more interested. I highly recommend using this book as a guideline, as it lays out rules you may not have thought of, plus, if there is ever a question or problem- you just refer to the book. There is a "business" side to running a large co-op and to keep things going smooth- that's where the book comes in. It is also filled with all of the paperwork and you get access to the Smart Mom's website for free downloads of the paperwork (you have to have the book which gives you the password to print the downloads). For more info I would recommend checking out their website at www.babysittingcoop.com. You can also order books from there for $15 or less- depending on how many you order- and call the 800 number. Hope this review helps you moms looking for a co-op!

Great resource!

I was interested in starting a coop, but didn't know how to iron out all the details. Fortunately, I found this book and it answered all my questions. It is very, very thorough and detailed. And it really has some excellent suggestions that one might not think of when starting a coop, like making sure each member has homeowners liability insurance and doing a safety check. If you buy the book, you also get access to a special web site with lots of useful forms to download. You really don't have to do much work at all. I am advertising my coop now, and am so glad I found this resource. My only problem with the book is that I don't like the secretary method, where you call one person to book the babysitting, and this book really only describes that option. (The book seems to be written for stay-at-home moms, and I am starting a working mom's coop.) But it's thorough enough that I feel I can adapt it for my needs. I'd definitely recommend it highly to anyone interested in starting a coop.

Smart Mom's Baby-sitting Co-op Handbook

Best book in catagory--I did my research! I did a Baby-sitting Co-op in one hour with three friends using this handbook. (it has everything you need already laid out). We have invited ten more moms to join us. We have time-out because a sitter will always be available--I can schedule a doctor's appointment on the spot. I only do sits in my home when it fits my schedule. We make one call to the secretary serving her turn--no hunting for a sitter. The book is well writen, easy to follow and provids everything I need. I serve as secretary one-month in rotation with 12 other moms. I started the co-op but I am never asked to do anything more. I cannot say enough about how the Co-op has helped--step-by-step. My kids have playmates and I have time out when I want it. I love my new friends. This is a great thing for any mother of preschoolers! It is a good thing to do for your neighborhood.

A "must read" for aspiring baby-sitting co-op participants.

One of the fundamental problems facing all parents is that of safe, reliable, competent child care. Now there is an effective, informative, "parent friendly" guide to developing and sustaining good babysitting resources and arrangements through the development of a "parents co-operative", a mutual arrangement of mothers of preschoolers to give each other a little time to themselves for getting out and about to do the things they need and want to accomplish, and can't take the kids along with them. In Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook, Gary Myers shows how the reader how easy it is to start, maintain and operate a safe, "parent friendly" child-secure, babysitting co-op, anywhere, anytime, for any number of moms.