Last week’s post “When Should Our Children Stay Home Alone?” triggered quite a response.  While it depends on the child’s level of maturity and responsibility, most of you agreed that twelve is about the age when we feel comfortable leaving them at home.

So, that brings me to the next question:  What does this mean for our babysitting budget?

If we can afford $40-80 per week for the occasional time away from the kids, that’s great.  But, what if we can’t?  We could choose to always be home with the kids, or bring them with us when we go out, but is there another option that we could feel comfortable with?

I was thinking about this when Kareen, the creator of HiveMoms.com told me about her website which brings neighborhood moms together for playdates and babysitting co-ops.  I expressed some doubt about a babysitting co-op:  “How would I know to trust the other moms?  They may live close to me, but that doesn’t mean we share the same values or that we care for our children the same way.”

But, as Kareen explained, HiveMoms is not about befriending strangers and immediately putting our kids in their care.  In fact, you could start a private co-op with moms you already know and trust – the site just makes it easy to keep track of the points you exchange when you trade babysitting!

I’m still wondering if I should give this a shot.  Maybe I’ll just join a few playdates that are posted on the site, and then see how it goes.  Is anyone game to join me for a peek?