Babysitting Co-op Basics

What is a babysitting shift and how does it work?

Each co-op member comes to the planning meeting with a specific day and time when they'll be available for babysitting. This day & time represents a co-op shift and usually equals a 4 hours segments of time.

Once all the co-op members have identified their shifts, the shifts are then written down onto the co-op calendar and will rotate on a weekly or bi-weekly basis depending on how many people are participating in your co-op.

The co-op calendar then is projected out for 3-4 months in advance providing all the co-op members with guaranteed babysitting options for weeks to come.

The really great thing about setting your shifts up for weeks in advance is that it allows parents to commit to future appointments. This system ensures that parents will always have a co-op member available to watch their children when they need to be away.