Meet the Central Coast mum easing the mental load for working parents.
When it came time for Central Coast mum Lauren Perrett to dust off the corporate suit and return to work after six months of parental leave, she hit a roadblock she wasn’t expecting.
“The thought of leaving my baby with anyone was daunting, it gave me so much anxiety,” she told Coasties Mag.
“It goes against all of your maternal instincts to stay close to your child.”
Factoring in the notoriously long childcare waitlists on the Coast and the challenge of finding a nanny, Lauren found herself working from home with her little boy Charles by her side. But as any working parent can attest, the guilt soon crept in.
“Charles was playing in the background while I was trying to work and I felt really guilty because I wasn’t sitting down giving him my full attention, but I also wasn’t working to my full potential. I was a high performer in the corporate world and all of a sudden I had a handicap.”
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It didn’t take long for Lauren to know there was a gap in the market that could solve not just her dilemma, but that of so many other working parents in the community.
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This month marks the launch of her second baby, BubbaDesk. It’s a co-working space at Erina for parents with onsite childcare, allowing parents the space to dive deep into their work while knowing their little one is safely being cared for by a childcare professional just a room away.
“I’m really passionate about how this business is not just going to help parents but their children as well,” Lauren said.
“This option helps bridge the gap between home and a big childcare centre environment, empowering parents to do their work really well but also parent really well.”
All onsite nannies have a minimum Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care, working with children checks and up to date first aid certificates. What’s more – this isn’t just run of the mill creche style child minding. The nannies design weekly play-based learning plans that are age-appropriate for the children booked in, with interactive activities that are full of social-emotional development opportunities.
Breastfeeding mums can pop next door between meetings for a feed, a cuddle is only a moment away, and little ones who settle best in the arms of their parents can stick to their home routines and sleep soundly in the dark cot room. All of this, while parents can continue to bring their best selves to their work in a sleek and modern office environment, with ergonomic chairs, fast, reliable internet, quiet phone call rooms and most importantly, delicious coffee from Studio Lane right next door.
“I built this because I wanted to continue to excel in my corporate career but stay close to my son, and I want to help other parents do that too,” Lauren said.
“Parents can come and build their own communities with other like-minded professionals, and not have to worry about dropping kids off somewhere to travel into the city. Coming to BubbaDesk, you know there’s just one drive to work and one drive back home. We really are easing the mental load.”
BubbaDesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm and is located at Suite 6, 203 The Entrance Road, Erina. Tax deductible bookings for one of the 24 spaces are $110 a day for both the parent and their child, with little ones welcome from four months to four years of age.
From June, BubbaDesk will offer extended hours at their Erina space, from 8:30am – 4:30pm as well as introducing a second location in St Leonards, on Sydney’s north shore. The increased hours will see a day rate increase of $15, to $125 per day, still tax deductible.
You can meet Lauren and her team at the BubbaDesk open day this Monday 19th December. Open for the morning to take a tour of the work and play spaces. Register your interest on Instagram at @bubbadesk.
Find out more about Lauren and Bubbadesk here: @laurentopazperrett, or visit www.bubbadesk.com to make a booking.
* * please check the website for the most up to date information on operating hours and pricing.
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