Save on Babysitter Services with Sitting Co-ops

A new website makes it a no-brainer for parents willing to swap sitting duty.

By Alison Brownrigg December 12, 2011

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This article originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of Seattle Magazine.

Date night in Seattle can quickly add up, so if springing for a sitter—in addition to dinner at that new Capitol Hill hot spot and a movie—makes a night out a budgetary no-go, check out SittingAround.com, an online baby-sitting co-op.

Launched last year by Phinney Ridge parents Erica Zidel and Ted Tieken, Sitting Around is a free service that allows parents to earn points by watching each other’s kiddos, and then swap those points for a little time without the tots.

The site gives you options: join an existing co-op, or start your own with neighbors and friends. Online schedule requests make this idea a no-brainer for busy parents in need of a break; they can choose from two kinds of co-op membership: free (with ads displayed on the site) and ad free, for $15/year.

 

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