nellebelle

>>>MAYBE, perhaps, you could babysit?>>>

We formed a babysitting co-op in our homeschool group (and later included
friends who didn't homeschool). This can be a great thing for kids who are
old enough to go play without mom but too young to stay home alone. Parents
benefit because it is free and your child is being cared for by another
parent. Children benefit because they basically are going on play dates.

We had a point system. Then a member introduced cards made on her computer.
Each card was worth either 30 minutes or one hour for one child. Parents
"pay" with the cards, which are just getting traded back and forth between
the members. Most moms kept the cards in their car glovebox, so they would
always be handy.

After a while, several of us stopped bothering with the points all together
as friendships developed. It was a great way to get started though.

Mary Ellen