| The first few years that they were parents, | | | | baby-sitters' house, they also drop off food |
| Gail and Darin dreaded the stress of the | | | | or games for the kids to share, so everyone |
| Christmas season. The difficulty of shopping | | | | shares the time and expense of the pool. |
| with a child in a stroller made an already | | | | |
| arduous task even more tiring. The only way | | | | The kids all love the plan because it means |
| to avoid taking their baby daughter with them | | | | that three or four times a season, they go to |
| was to do all of their shopping seperately, | | | | "parties" with their friends, where they're |
| while one spouse stayed at home. They avoided | | | | much more comfortable than they would be at |
| Christmas parties, caroling with their | | | | Dad's boss's house or running from mall to |
| friends, and many of the activities they | | | | mall while Mom and Dad shop. The parents love |
| would have loved to take part in. They | | | | the plan because their kids are being |
| weren't bitter or begrudging-they loved their | | | | supervised by other adults they trust. |
| daughter and loved being with her-they just | | | | |
| found that the constant attention a child | | | | And the parents who babysit always end up |
| requires prevented them from enjoying many of | | | | enjoying their time as well. Besides the food |
| Christmas's traditions. | | | | that the other parents drop off, they can |
| | | | rent videos to keep the kids occupied, or |
| By the time they had their second child, a | | | | supervise games with holiday themes. One |
| son, their little girl was in preschool, and | | | | family loves to have all the children help to |
| Gail and Darin knew some of the other school | | | | trim their Christmas tree and decorate their |
| parents-parents with the same Christmas-time | | | | house. |
| issues. But, along with the other parents, | | | | |
| they developed a solution, by forming a | | | | At the end of the season, Gail and Darin's |
| babysitting pool. | | | | group gather at one family's house for a New |
| | | | Year's Day party-they usually hire a |
| Around Thanksgiving, the parents share their | | | | babysitter for the day, and reserve a portion |
| planned schedules with each other via | | | | of the house for the children, while the |
| e-mail-which nights they've been invited to | | | | parents gather together for a relaxing day of |
| parties or other holiday functions which | | | | food, friendship, and football. |
| might not be enjoyable for their kids, etc. | | | | |
| They also share the dates on which they're | | | | Many parents find themselves dreading all the |
| willing to babysit each others' kids, | | | | hassles of the holiday season each year, |
| including weekend days, when most people do | | | | without realizing that their friends-other |
| their shopping. Then someone in the group | | | | parents-are in exactly the same boat. With a |
| collates all the information and dates, and | | | | little communication and cooperation, parents |
| draws up a calendar, with each set of | | | | can work together to make sure everyone in |
| parents' babysitting schedules. And usually, | | | | their circle has as pleasant a Christmas as |
| each household only has one day or night for | | | | possible. |
| which they're responsible for the other | | | | |
| families' children. | | | | Gail and Darin love Christmastime, now. |
| | | | They're able to share the joy of the season |
| And the group, as a whole, strives to make | | | | with their children and spend time alone |
| each family's babysitting night or day as | | | | together, as adults, in ways they thought |
| easy and effortless as possible. When they | | | | they never would-at least for another decade. |
| drop their kids off at the designated | | | | |