Babysitters are wonderful helpers for busy moms, but sometimes the family budget absolutely will not stretch far enough to pay for one.

Why not start a babysitting co-op to increase time out from the kids without breaking the budget?

It is important to find a group of like-minded moms to make this project work. Four to six moms working together should be the maximum to start. More people can be added as the co-op gets up and running smoothly.

Coupons are issued for each hour of babysitting. Start out with 10 per person. Every coupon after that must be earned by babysitting for someone else in the group.

Each mom takes a turn at being the group treasurer for a month or two at a time. The length of time is decided by the group, but since this is an additional chore, it should be shared in equal increments among the members.

Moms "pay" for babysitting with the coupons they have been issued. They earn hours by babysitting.

The moms develop a list of rules, according to their needs and desires. For example, after midnight babysitting may cost two coupons per hour, since that is more inconvenient than babysitting during the day.

Weekdays may cost less than weekends.

The number of children may vary in cost. For example, is it fair for a one-child family to "pay" as much as the family with three to four children?

The rules are created and voted upon by the members of the co-op. These should be reviewed every three months during the start-up period and can be decreased to bi-annually once the group is well established. Each member who joins the group should sign off after reading the guidelines. This will help to prevent misunderstandings.

Decisions for non-compliance should be made by the group and written into the rules. For example, if a mom is late returning for her child, is there a penalty?

All of these matters should be decided ahead of time so that no one is surprised and gripes are minimized.

Make sure to discuss extensively and think of everything that could go wrong before finalizing the guidelines. This needs to happen BEFORE any babysitting takes place so that there are no misunderstandings.

Have fun and enjoy date night!