Like most parents in paid work, the answer to “who takes care of the children?” is complicated. Between my son (6) and daughter (2), it’s a full calendar spreading the load between school, OOSH, daycare, grandparents, extracurricular activities and, of course, myself and my husband, the parents. It used to be a fortnightly schedule, but now it only repeats every 4 weeks, and that’s only when no one has any events, work trips or illness (and there’s always illness). So you can understand how I found myself on a Sunday night, looking at the calendar and realising I had no cover for my daughter the coming Wednesday. My husband and I did the usual showdown: brandishing meetings and deadlines as our ammunition. There was no casual spot at daycare and the grandparents were AWOL. Then I remembered an email that had come through about a brilliant new business that combined a co-working space with onsite child care. A few emails back and a quick form and we were booked. Mum and toddler were headed to BubbaDesk Caringbah for a working Wednesday.
Driving to work together that morning was quite fun. Babycino and flat white in hand, we were ready to seize the day. I had packed both of us lunch and snacks (as you can’t leave the premises without your kid to grab food), with nappies and everything else she’d need to sleep. At the top of the stairs, one door led to the childcare space and the other to the co-working space. A physical separation representing the mental one needed to juggle career and child each day. I was met by the room manager and other nannies in a big, light-filled room and my daughter ran right in to play. There was a whiteboard to fill in her routine, a place to hang her bag, put her nappies and a fridge for her lunch. My daughter is very happy and confident in drop-offs (very unlike my son) so this was all, thankfully, seamless. Through the other door I went to get some work done.
The co-working space is equipped with lots of desks, screens, ample power points, kitchenette and sound-proof booths for digital meetings bookable through an app. It was quick to get set up, and actually very conducive to work to be in a familiar feeling space, with unfamiliar but like-minded people. Everyone was courteous and kind, lots of knowing smiles across the room, but everyone is there for one thing: get stuff done. I had meetings, got through emails and was sent an email from the childcare room when they had a question, “Hi Alex, we can’t find Ines’ water bottle.” It was in my bag, so I ran it over. This little pop-in was a bit confusing for my daughter — usually, after drop-off, the next time I see her is pick-up — but I explained and she showed me some of the things she was playing with and we agreed she’d have a nap before we left. For me, it was so nice to see a little snippet of her day and get an extra cuddle and chat.
Back in the co-working space, I noticed really thoughtful additions, like the iPad that shows live views of the three cot rooms. I saw Ines sleeping before one meeting and just waking up after it. I thought how helpful this space would be for breastfeeding mums, or if you wanted to put your baby to sleep yourself. That’s something you could do here without being pulled into household admin that usually quickly eats away that nap time. You could do it and not have to cut your work time short when they wake up earlier than expected. You could do it and still be close to them, while doing a full day of paid work. This, of course, is why BubbaDesk was created by Lauren Perrett, an entrepreneur and mother of two young children.
With her first baby, Charles, born in September 2021, Lauren experienced severe pre and postnatal anxiety, a traumatic birth, and a challenging breastfeeding journey. Returning to work when Charles was just seven months old, she faced poor support and isolation in a team with no other parents, culminating in an anxiety attack during a work trip. While pregnant with her second, Harvey, born in July 2023, Lauren was determined to create a better solution for mothers, like herself, who, when faced with this challenge of needing to return to paid work while not feeling ready.
Since launching in November 2022, BubbaDesk now has nine locations across NSW, Victoria and ACT. The unique model has received an unsurprisingly hugely positive, and emotional response from parents, as returning to work after having a baby is a pain point for so many mothers. Lauren and her business stand for the belief that you can breastfeed, nurture that special bond, achieve your work goals, and run the world—all while maintaining a work-life balance. It’s businesses with foundations like this that set a new standard and change the way we think as a society about mothers in the workplace. Creating more locations is one piece of the puzzle for BubbaDesk, but they are also working to secure alliances with corporations to become an employee benefit, promoting the tax deductions it relates to and campaigning to be included in the government Childcare Subsidy.
Lately, there have been more calls for amendments to the Childcare Subsidy to include more than traditional daycare centres. Ideas like BubbaDesk, yes, but also private nannies, grandparents, crèches, or… as one member of The Memo’s Instagram community put it, “Can I use the Childcare Subsidy to help pay for myself to take care of my kids?”
While the outcome of the subsidy reforms remains to be seen, even as a parent, two-years outside of returning to work after having my daughter, BubbaDesk was a warm, productive, relief of an experience. Whether it’s mum guilt or simply sadness or the impracticality of being apart from your child, it’s a real issue. Having a local BubbaDesk available to help with the transitions, as a fallback, or become part of your childcare schedule could really impact parents and how they do paid work.
