A community date night is a great way to end a long week — whether that means a romantic date with your spouse or a night out with a group of other couples in your neighborhood.
If they live in the same community or belong to the same group, families are planning ahead to enjoy a night out. By depending on neighbors or friends, you can save big on childcare expenses.
Childcare considerations
Before you agree to group childcare, think about what’s important to you and your spouse. Though you may be friendly with your neighbors, ask a few questions before they babysit, including:
Do your neighbors have pets, and if so, is this a problem for your children?
Do any of your neighbors have a pool, and if so, is there a gate surrounding it?
Do any of your neighbors have firearms in their homes, and if so, are they locked up?
In 2009, Danae Dillman, her husband, and three children of San Ramon, California, formed a babysitting co-op with 13 other families in their neighborhood. The co-op operates during the week and on weekends, and membership is by referral only. Every family receives information about each child’s food allergies, medical history, and parenting styles.
“We require a safety check of each home,” Dillman explains. “A safety gate at the top of your stairs is not required, but electrical outlets must be covered and a gate needs to be around each family’s pool. And if you have guns, they must be locked up.”
When Dillman wants to go out with her husband, she makes a “sit request” through a Yahoo group site the babysitting group shares.
“I’ll put the day and time, say 7 to 10 p.m., that my husband and I will be gone, that the ‘sit’ will be for three kids at my house, and that they’ll need to be fed and put to bed,” Dillman explains. “We let the ‘sit’ sit out there for 24 hours, and we choose the family that we feel most comfortable with looking after our children.”
Church date nights
Baldwin Community United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sponsors a date night co-op every other Friday night. The cost is $5 per child with a maximum of $10 per family. Nine families participate, and on a rotating basis, two couples stay at the church to care for the other children. Children eat dinner and participate in various activities such as indoor hockey or crafts.
“Through discussions at the church, we realized that there was a need for parents to go out on dates and have affordable childcare,” date night co-op coordinator Amy Ferkett says. “Couples also get to spend time as a couple that they don’t get in their busy lives.”
Start a community date night
By Karen Schwartz
A community date night is a great way to end a long week — whether that means a romantic date with your spouse or a night out with a group of other couples in your neighborhood.
If they live in the same community or belong to the same group, families are planning ahead to enjoy a night out. By depending on neighbors or friends, you can save big on childcare expenses.
Childcare considerations
Before you agree to group childcare, think about what’s important to you and your spouse. Though you may be friendly with your neighbors, ask a few questions before they babysit, including:
In 2009, Danae Dillman, her husband, and three children of San Ramon, California, formed a babysitting co-op with 13 other families in their neighborhood. The co-op operates during the week and on weekends, and membership is by referral only. Every family receives information about each child’s food allergies, medical history, and parenting styles.
“We require a safety check of each home,” Dillman explains. “A safety gate at the top of your stairs is not required, but electrical outlets must be covered and a gate needs to be around each family’s pool. And if you have guns, they must be locked up.”
When Dillman wants to go out with her husband, she makes a “sit request” through a Yahoo group site the babysitting group shares.
“I’ll put the day and time, say 7 to 10 p.m., that my husband and I will be gone, that the ‘sit’ will be for three kids at my house, and that they’ll need to be fed and put to bed,” Dillman explains. “We let the ‘sit’ sit out there for 24 hours, and we choose the family that we feel most comfortable with looking after our children.”
Church date nights
Baldwin Community United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sponsors a date night co-op every other Friday night. The cost is $5 per child with a maximum of $10 per family. Nine families participate, and on a rotating basis, two couples stay at the church to care for the other children. Children eat dinner and participate in various activities such as indoor hockey or crafts.
“Through discussions at the church, we realized that there was a need for parents to go out on dates and have affordable childcare,” date night co-op coordinator Amy Ferkett says. “Couples also get to spend time as a couple that they don’t get in their busy lives.”