Childcare is a major issue that working parents deal with in a bid to make ends meet and take care of their kids well at the same time. Fortunately, coworking spaces are stepping in to help parents with the issue. Many coworking facilities include childcare services in their clients’ packages. They are creating playrooms, lactation lounges, and cafeterias among others and hiring childcare professionals to enable proper care of the kids while their parents work. A coworking space such as Nido in Durham, North Carolina offers on-site Montessori school where kids learn as their parents get work done in the designated rooms.
Offering childcare in coworking spaces has become a great amenity in attracting the working parents who are actually the majority clients in coworking spaces. If you are to stay ahead, joining the bandwagon is the way to go. Moreover, understanding the reasons why coworking and childcare go hand in hand can help you get started.
Improving work-life balance
Working from home with young children isn’t as easy as most people make it look like. Most parents have to wait for their children to sleep so they can find time to catch up on work. They end up having to deal with missed deadlines or postpone meetings. Moreover, it can be the other way. People working from home often find it hard to disconnect from work at the end of the day. Unfortunately, this can be at the expense of the kids. Coworking spaces with childcare amenities provide the perfect balance for such parents. At HackerMoms, children receive proper care under childcare experts, allowing the moms time to exercise their creative talents under the same roof.
Better parent-child bonding opportunities
Parents working from home find it hard to find time to spend quality time with their kids. If they are not catching up on work, they are attending to other distractions that come with working from home. These distractions are eliminated in a coworking space. Parents can purpose their breaks as time to bond with their children without anything else coming in between. They can bond over lunch in the cafeteria or join the kids in the play spaces provided by the coworking space. Even better, with simple gym equipment such as dumbbells, the parents can put in a few minutes of exercise at the playgrounds as they watch the children play
Increased productivity and learning for kids
With reliable childcare, parents can be able to put in more hours and be more productive at their work. Coworking facilities with childcare services provide the parents with just that. Moreover, they allow parents to save time that they could have otherwise used dropping the kids to and from daycare facilities. In addition, children get a perfect place to play, learn and thrive. Besides bonding with other children, some facilities offer learning activities for children such as learning how to play musical instruments, art & craft and more.
Providing opportunities for networking with other parents
Parenting isn’t easy especially when coupled with work. It can drive even the best individuals to the edge. However, it gets easier when there is someone else to share the struggles with. Coworking hubs that have embraced the growing trend of childcare services help parents hit two birds with one stone. The kids get excellent childcare as they work, and the parents get an opportunity to network with fellow parents at the facility. Talking about their parenting journeys and careers is very important when it comes to mental well-being.
It’s a cheaper option
Bringing in a babysitter isn’t cheap and neither is paying a daycare. The charges can go up to an average of $844 monthly as it is in Philadelphia. However, a popular coworking hub, MOMentum in the city is giving parents an opportunity to use the facility with childcare services twice a week at half that price monthly. Parents enjoy great savings, which has made the hub one of the most preferred among parents in the area.
Conclusion
Coworking spaces are growing by the day. Today, working parents don’t have to choose between work and kids. They can be productive and their kids receive proper care all in one facility affordably. This can result in a better work-life balance and improved well-being. Moreover, coworking hub owners can reap big from such arrangements. Incorporating childcare services in your coworking space aligns you with the future of work that is flexible and hybrid.
