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
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.