We Need More Coworking Spaces With Childcare
Who has ever tried to work from home while watching a young child? I’m assuming that many people who are reading this article have tried and failed. If anyone out there has found the secret to getting any real work done, except during nap time, please let me know.
For me working from home with my 13-month-old boy includes fun activities like trying to take a call while my son tries to yank the phone out of my hand or I run away from my laptop in the middle of a webinar in attempts to save him from toppling over on yet another piece of furniture he’s trying to climb on. Last week I got so desperate to meet a deadline that I put my kid in a large box, dumped an entire container of cheerios inside, and let him go to town.
Sure, I could benefit from daycare or a nanny but unfortunately, the United States is a country where child care is unaffordable. If you’re freelancing you don’t have the guarantee of full-time work. The thought of paying for a full-time daycare just doesn’t make any sense. Additionally, paying a nanny at the average rate of $18–25/hour is outrageous. So many of us, like me, suffer through working from home while trying to watch our kids. It’s unproductive, but by adding late nights and weekends it pays the bills.
According to a recent Intuit study, contractors and freelancers will exceed 40 percent of the American workforce by 2020. This tells me that many parents are in the same boat. The obvious answer to this dilemma is affordable childcare where parents can work.
For those who freelance and crave social interaction or perhaps the discipline of a real work setting to be productive, the prevalence of coworking spaces in every major city has been a godsend. In exchange for minimal fees coworking members get access to numerous perks including Wi-Fi, coffee, networking opportunities and sometimes even kegs for happy hour on the regular. It’s puzzling to me why it’s not commonplace that one of the amenities that come with coworking spaces is childcare.
A few cities have recognized there is a market for this and have started catering to working moms. I recently attended a book release launch for “Gracefully You: Finding Beauty and Balance in the Everyday,” at Mr. Purple in New York City. It was refreshing to be surrounded by a community of freelancing moms, some of them even had their kids in tow. As a first-time mom to a busy one-year-old, I asked a few women how they are managing to get any work done and numerous people said they had joined a coworking space called Little Wing that offers affordable childcare.
I was so thrilled to hear that this was a thing and specifically thought to myself, “Of course this exists- it makes so much sense.” I excitedly went home feeling motivated to find a coworking space near my home that offered this amenity, ready to join on the spot. The closest location I could find is a 40-minute drive, and that’s without traffic. Additionally, they only offer childcare a few select days a week. I’m thrilled that there is something, but making an hour plus drive there and back is not ideal, especially when there are numerous coworking spaces within walking distance to my home.
Coworking spaces are huge right now and with the predicted growth of the gig economy, they will only continue to get bigger. If they want to appeal to parents, the option of childcare on site is a huge selling point. Throw in caffeine and they have got my business.
