The New, Child-And-Parent Friendly Way Of Coworking Everyone’s Raving About
And it’s just landed in the Shire
Bubbadesk, Caringbah
Mum guilt. It’s an unfair, but real thing. Just ask Lauren Perrett, whose plan to return to work four months following the birth of her first child, Charles, fell apart around her. “I’ll be fine,” she reasoned. “Everything will slot into place.”
But as the realities of parenting and maintaining a career that she loved set in, so did the anxiety. “Just the thought of being away from Charles… it just wasn't going to work for me. Daycare feels like ‘All right, child, off you go, I won't see you for the day, I have to go work.’ I had a nanny, but it was just becoming too expensive - it’s not like they’re tax deductible!”
Venting to her fellow mum-friends, Lauren found herself half-jokingly wishing for a way that they could parent while being on the job. It’s an all-too-familiar story that will have many of you nodding your head along in sympathy, but to Lauren, it became a real, legitimate business idea: BubbaDesk.
The idea behind the brand is much like the name implies; a co-working space full of compassionate parents on the same work-life-baby-balance journey as one another. It’s a way to transition into a new rhythm that doesn’t fit the same rigidity as traditional corporate structure, but still affords the same level of productivity. And the best part? It’s tax deductible, and can work out to be even cheaper than childcare and nanny costs.
So how does it work?
Lauren and her husband-come-business-partner, Tom, have created an army of certified childcare workers, who are present at each office. This team is qualified to run interactive learning activities with and provide tailored care for kids from four months to four years - and they remain totally contactable via the BubbaDesk app. Each location also features quiet rooms for calls and meetings, a private breastfeeding area, blacked-out rooms for sleeping babies and a kitchenette. It’s an environment that means you’re never far from your baby, but have just enough distance - and security - to be at your most productive.
“There has been a massive shift in how people work, but there hasn't been a childcare shift to keep up with that. So I think that's what we’re doing. We’re building a future that allows parents to have work/life balance.”
Lauren says it’s one of those elusive supportive workplaces that some only dream of, explaining that there’s a real sense of community among the like-minded people who find themselves there. “There are WhatsApp groups where everyone chats and organises to hang out. They'll go to lunch outside of work. There was a group that went and did a baby sensory class together. It’s a beautiful community.”
Since the pair opened their first-ever space in Erina, on the New South Wales Central Coast, they have quickly expanded to suburbs all over the state, and soon to be across the border into Queensland. But the opening that has us Shire-siders excited is the recently-launched Caringbah site. Stylishly fitted out with individual rooms, each with four desks, as well as a gym, showers and on-site parking, it’s really a one-stop destination, says Lauren.
You don’t have to look far on BubbaDesk’s site or socials to see that the proof is in the pudding. “In a financial climate that means so many of us are having to head back to work sooner than we would like after having a child, BubbaDesk has created a unique experience where you can continue to feed, nap, play, and connect with your little one,” says BubbaDesk customer, parent and professional, Claire Dorward. “All of the nannies connect with your child in a way that feels like an extension of you.”
Every parent’s needs are different, which is why there are a range of options when it comes to bookings.
For those looking for a more permanent solution (but still with flexibility), a subscription membership is a great way to make the most of BubbaDesk’s services, however, casual days are also on offer.
Whether you’re expecting, planning your own return to work or wanting to explore alternatives to daycare, you can book a tour at BubbaDesk in Caringbah, at 5 Meta Street, which is open 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday through to Friday.
Visit bubbadesk.com for more information.
Details
5 Meta Street, Caringbah NSW 2229
Images and video by www.andredominique.com
Posted: February 2024