If you're looking for a daycare alternative, this story is for you...
It was 2023, I had a 15 month old and a 3 year old. I had recently returned to work and was really struggling with the transition.
My 15 month old wasn’t weaning well, he was a clingy little thing and I just couldn’t bring myself to completely stop breastfeeding, but I’m a small business owner and I needed to work. Daycare was proving to be so rigid in terms of waiting lists and last minute availability, and being a web designer, my job revolves around last minute briefs and urgent projects that require me to jump on my computer at any time. I was trying to keep clients happy with a toddler and a chatty preschooler in the background and it just wasn’t working. At one point I even took my kids to the local gym creche and sneakily worked in the cafe rather than exercising because I was that desperate!
There had to be an alternative to traditional childcare. I researched casual daycare centres on the Lower North Shore Sydney and after completing a few tours I decided I really didn’t want to send my kids to these places – they were dirty and unstructured and the carers didn’t really seem to want to be there. I wanted to know my kids were being cared for and loved while I worked, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to focus.
Then I came across a brand that was relatively new to the area – BubbaDesk St Leonards, opening soon! It was just around the corner from me, in a creative area within the Lower North Shore, just down the road from the train station. I knew the area well, it’s safe and friendly and there are heaps of local small businesses around. I registered my interest and within a week I was starting at BubbaDesk!
I was absolutely blown away by the space. The children’s area is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Rows upon rows of brand new toys, books & playstations for all ages. There are plush rugs and reading nooks. A clean kitchen with all the things my children would need at mealtime. And the sleep rooms! My word! Coming from a mum who put so much effort into optimising my baby’s sleep with blackout curtains & white noise, these sleep rooms are designed by someone who KNOWS how precious a good nap is. Completely dark, super safe cots, white noise in every room, they even have Google Nest cameras for real-time monitoring. And in the corner, a breastfeeding chair which seems like a simple addition, but this brought me so much comfort. The last few months of breastfeeding my baby boy were so bittersweet and it was such a special thing to be able to pop up and feed him to sleep during a work day, knowing those feeds would be some of my last with him. We both felt comfortable and safe, and I spent a large portion of my lunch break snuggling him while my daughter played with the carers.
Speaking of the carers, they’re just amazing! I knew from the moment I did a tour of BubbaDesk that the kids would love it there. The carers were kind and engaging and the low child to carer ratio means my kids are getting way more attention than they would at a traditional daycare centre. My now 4 year old often asks when we’re going to BubbaDesk and remembers the carers by name.
The coworking facility itself is also amazing! I usually work with multiple screens at home and the 27” monitors mean I can plug my laptop straight in and I’m off! Being the control freak that I am, I often check the Google Nests to make sure my little boy is sleeping ok (which he always is). And the coffee machine & gym mean I can also take a little me-time during my working day because it’s all about balance right?
The private meeting rooms allow me to take calls without being disturbed and I’ve also been known to shoot some of my social content in this space because they’re so beautifully furnished.
I have felt so grateful for BubbaDesk over these past couple of years. I’ve always felt so welcome and comfortable there and it’s a brand I truly believe in. The Lower North Shore has been in dire need of a coworking creche, and a better option for parents returning to work. BubbaDesk fills that need so beautifully. It’s been such a reassuring way to return to working life, especially as a small business owner based in Naremburn which is just around the corner.
If you’re on mat leave in Sydney’s North Shore, I would highly recommend you go check out BubbaDesk. Even if you’re currently pregnant and thinking of ways you can return to work when the time comes, knowing BubbaDesk is there will make you feel so much more supported. It’s a gentler way to get back into it and I only hope that other parents in St Leonards can take advantage of this support!
Written by Clare Walter www.clarewalterdesign.com.au