My husband and I are transplants to our local community. We moved here to go to college and never returned home. Both of our parents are a day on an airplane away and we have no family nearby. Before I had a baby, I thought getting a babysitter would be easy. Just post a sign or find someone online to watch the babe while I went out for a weekly night on the town. And then she was born. And my motherly instincts kicked in and there was no way I was going to leave my baby with a stranger. Also, to pay 10.00 or more an hour plus the cost of a romantic dinner made me a little sick to my stomach. I know other parents who are in a similar situation and we are swapping childcare. Here are some things to consider when doing a childcare swap. Know your limits. How many parents are in the "circle" and how many children do you want to watch on a given day? I have a neighbor who has a 1 1/2 year old daughter and she watches another two 2 year olds. There is no way I wanted in on this action. Three toddlers and my baby would be way to much for me. Talk discipline before you watch the kids. What are the rules at your house? How will you handle another child's misbehavior? Sure, birds of a feather tend to flock together but they may discipline their baby birdies in very different ways. Get down to the details. How do you want to schedule the swaps? Some parents only want to go for an occasional night out and others may need weekly child care. I suggest doing like for like trades. Trading daytime hours for daytime hours. To babysit children on New Year's Eve is more valuable than on a Tuesday afternoon. Talk to your partner about how you as a couple can handle the childcare. Save the arguments and talk to each other before making agreements with others. Have you swapped child care? How did it work for you?