![]() The administration's initial reaction to the co-op's recession was to add new rules. This illustrates the phenomenon known as the paradox of thrift. As a result, the co-op fell into a " recession". Since babysitting opportunities only arise when other couples want to go out, there was a shortage of demand for babysitting. So they babysat whenever the opportunity arose, but did not spend the scrip they acquired. Īt first, new members of the co-op felt, on average, that they should save more scrip before they began spending. Some of the administration's scrip went to administrators to be spent and some was simply saved. To "pay" for the administrative costs of the system, each member had an obligation to contribute fourteen hours' worth of scrip a year (i.e. Administrators in the co-op were responsible for various tasks, such as matching couples needing a babysitter with couples that wanted to babysit. To earn more scrip, couples babysat other member's children. Each piece of scrip was contractually deemed to pay for half an hour of babysitting. ![]() Members of the co-op used scrip to pay for babysitting. The co-op gave each new member twenty hours' worth of " scrip," and required them to return the same amount when they left the co-op. You would sell your children for scrip."Ĭooperative system and history The co-op issued scrip, each piece was worth half an hour of babysitting time. The currency issued by the co-op, called scrip, was in extremely high demand, at least at some points, with a former member being quoted as saying "Oh my God, you would kill for scrip.Time-and-a-half was paid for later hours.Double time was paid after midnight and between 5 pm and 7 pm (during supper time).This was seen as an onerous task, which is why it was rotated, and entailed taking babysitting requests, matching sitters with requests (hence being on call at all times), and balancing the books. In the 1960s the position of secretary rotated monthly.By the early 1970s the co-op was geographically split in two-north/south or east/west. ![]()
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