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

Gary Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

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 you get ten-moms you will always be able to count on a sitter. With ten moms you are also free to be a sitter when the time works with your schedule. It is all done with points and one call to the secretary--no hunting for a sitter. You serve one month as secretary on rotation with ten other moms. No pleas for help. No guilt. It works on autopilot. It is based on a Baby-sitting Co-op that has been passed from mom to mom for over twenty years. Quick reading. Well organized and humorous. The book is best in catagory!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Myers earned a Masters of Science and has studied business process modeling at the University of Washington. He enjoys re-engineering business processes into a simple, easy-to-do solution. Facinated with a neiborhood baby-sitting co-op that had been passed from mom-to-mom for twenty years, he set to work writting "Smart Mom's Baby-sitting Co-op Handbook".

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Tukwila Publishing; 1st. ed edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967874807
• ISBN-13: 978-0967874807
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #834,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource!, February 12, 2001

By 

Gerri Detweiler "host, Talk Credit Radio" (Gulf Coast, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook: How We Solved the Baby-Sitter Puzzle (Paperback)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart Mom's Baby-sitting Co-op Handbook, June 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook: How We Solved the Baby-Sitter Puzzle (Paperback)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for moms who need babysitters!!, March 15, 2005

By 

A. Long (DuPont, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook: How We Solved the Baby-Sitter Puzzle (Paperback)

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!