CBA YLD Lawyers with Littles (LWL) Connect
The CBA YLD is excited to announce the launch of “LWL Connect,” a an exchange community for Colorado young lawyer parents who wish to connect with other young lawyer parents to exchange free babysitting services for “date nights” or other events for which they need childcare for an evening.
What it is: At its core, LWL Connect is a wellness initiative. Young lawyers with children often struggle to balance work and family obligations, and find that all-important time to spend with their spouses or significant others alone. Many lawyers opt out of that needed “date night” because of complicated logistics or the high costs of childcare associated with taking that personal time. LWL Connect eases those burdens by connecting young lawyer parents with other young lawyer parents via a list serve. The basic concept of LWL Connect is that young lawyers can use the community to find other young lawyers in their geographic area who would be willing to provide free babysitting for a certain date, in exchange for the promise to return the favor at a later date. This community is for one-off, date-night type evening babysitting—not for soliciting long-term childcare or nanny services. This is all about young lawyer parents helping each other by coordinating an exchange of free childcare for a night out with a spouse or significant other (or some quality alone time).
How it Works: To participate in LWL Connect, sign up for the community by using the link at the top of this page. You will be immediately added to the community, and can begin connecting with other young lawyer parents to coordinate cost-free childcare for a date night. The community works like an exchange. Simply make a post in the community via email or going to community.cobar.org, and in the title include the date, time-frame, location, and number of children. In the body of the email provide details regarding specifically what you are looking for. Only use the list serve if you are willing to watch another young lawyer’s children for free in return at a mutually-agreed later date.
In order to avoid abuse, misuse, and voluminous email traffic, email responders should respond to the initial email offline and coordinate logistics with the initial emailer privately. Once childcare has been procured, the initial emailer should reply to the post with email and add “childcare found”, which will signal to others on the list serve that you are no longer seeking childcare. Parents should use and exercise their parenting judgment when determining whether to accept another’s offer to provide childcare.
Once the initial emailer’s childcare services have been provided, the initial and responding emailers should coordinate offline regarding the exchange of childcare serves for the responding emailer’s children. It should be understood that the CBA YLD will not in any way be involved in the discussions between members of the community, except to the extent periodic announcements or messages are appropriate. The CBA YLD will not be involved in any disputes as between members of the community regarding the foregoing — the CBA YLD is merely connecting young parents, not serving as a referee or party to any discussions or disputes.
What it is not: LWL Connect is not a “babysitting” service of the CBA YLD. Rather, the program merely serves as a means of connecting young lawyer parents with other young lawyer parents — in other words, providing a forum for young lawyer parents to connect regarding the exchange of free childcare to enable young lawyers to have a much-needed night out without kids. This is also not a substitute for parenting judgment — young lawyer parents are encouraged to undertake whatever analysis and decision-making they would normally use in selecting someone to provide childcare.
Disclaimer: LWL Connect is not a “babysitting” service of the CBA YLD, and is not a substitute for parenting judgment. Rather, the program merely serves as a means of connecting young lawyer parents with other young lawyer parents.