7 Reasons to Opt for a Coworking Space that Provides Childcare Amenities
Working mothers have never had it easy, especially in a work environment designed to drive maximum productivity for the typical male worker. That said, it is often believed in traditional workplaces that the proximity of children distracts workers and thwarts productivity. However, with the rise of telecommuting, or remote working, mothers who need to or wish to work gain some opportunity to do so while also keeping an eye on their offspring. A coworking space that provides a childcare facility makes it possible for working moms to level up professionally.
Both work and children need care, time, and attention. Dividing these factors equally between children and work is more often than not impossible. Moreover, according to data by the Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECFP), 50% of working mothers in the U.S. struggle to afford the high fees of third-party at-home childcare.
However, working from spaces that offer childcare amenities allows mothers to be closer to their children while also taking care of business. There are many other benefits as well. Therefore, let’s see how these coworking spaces with childcare are changing the way mothers can do their best work.
Why Choose a Coworking Space with Childcare?
There are many benefits of a coworking space that provides a childcare facility. Below, we present some of the most popular ones.
1. Being able to focus on both work and child more closely
A childcare service associated with a coworking space allows the working parent to keep an eye on their child as often as necessary. The best part about these spaces is that they provide an excellent environment for childcare, customized for the needs of the little ones.
Therefore, you know that your child is in the hands of professionals who are taking care of them under the same roof. This gives you the opportunity to relax and focus on the work at hand. Momtrepreneurs can single-handedly run their businesses from these spaces while ensuring their child is safe.
Big and Tiny in Los Angeles is one perfect example. They’ve created a little kiddy town in the coworking space. Here, mothers and fathers work while their children engage in a comprehensive developmental environment.
2. Bridging the gap between work and childcare
It’s increasingly complicated for a mother or any new parent to juggle a newborn and productive work life. Handling a toddler, even with a partner, can affect the work schedule massively, as the little ones require nearly constant supervision.
Even the mothers working from home have to shift their meetings or project schedules to match the nap time of their newborns. And no matter how hard they try, the quality of their work and their mental health get affected. Sadly, as a consequence, working mothers either consider downshifting their position at their companies or leaving the workforce altogether.
However, coworking spaces that provide childcare amenities have changed how working moms can achieve a more sustainable work-life balance, as bridging the gap between the work and the child enables them to meet deadlines, keep schedules, and ensure maximum productivity.
3. The childcare facility is usually staffed with qualified professionals
You know your child is in good hands when the caretaker is a seasoned professional. The coworking spaces that collaborate with or incorporate childcare facilities hire only the best to fill the gap between your child and your work. These professionals are well qualified in their respective fields and create a positive developmental environment while they spend time with your child.
The Coven in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a highly inclusive coworking space that offers top-notch shared working space for women, queer, and transgender people. From college nannies, sitters, and tutors, this new amenity employs the best of the best, trained and qualified professionals.
4. The cost of childcare is often included in the price of membership
No need to pay separately for sitters, childcare, tutors, and nannies. This amenity model can settle budget predictability and take some pressure off managing costs. Coworking spaces with childcare amenities come with membership plans that can offer these services at discounted rates, compared to at-home sitter services. This becomes a stable-priced predictable expense, so you can budget more easily and know that you can count on childcare when it’s time to work.
5. You don’t have to worry about finding a babysitter
Even before the completion of your parental leave, you have to complete exhausting research before going back to work: finding a good nanny or babysitter is no easy feat. In addition to the time and money you spend, there’s the question of feeling security and peace of mind. No matter how secure you make it at home, you will be back to worrying about your child when you leave for work.
6. It’s a great way to meet different parents
Coworking spaces are shared workplaces where the rules of traditional workplaces don’t apply. Here you meet a plethora of like-minded people who are as motivated, inspired, and success-driven as you. In a place where parents are encouraged to work together, with their children being taken care of under the same roof, you never run out of friends. In addition to making friends, the fellow parents share ideas, tips, and tricks on childcare and help each other in a constructive environment.
7. You can attend a short-notice meeting with ease
In a traditional workplace, meetings are the enemy that keeps you a little longer from your kids. Rushing to meet the deadline, attending last-minute meetings, and the pressure of presentation can all cumulatively keep you from your kid. At coworking spaces, your kid is near you while you happily give away that extra hour to the hefty meetings and carry on your presentations without worrying that your sitter has to do overtime while you return home to your kid. So, a childcare facility makes your overall experience less stressful and more enjoyable.
Conclusion
In the era where women are learning to be warriors rather than worriers, coworking spaces with childcare services are a boon for single mothers or fathers. The parental benefits of working in a coworking space that provides childcare amenities are complemented by the fact that your child is cared for and supervised in a developmentally constructive environment. You get to drive back home with them, drive to work with them, and spend lunch hours in their loving presence. Moreover, when the motherly instinct creeps up, you can check up on them without having to travel back home.
