Guest Post: Introducing Two Birds Co-working and Childcare in Tenleytown

This is a guest post authored by Kelsey Lents.

What if I were to tell you that, as a working mom or dad, you can have your cake and eat it too – that putting your child’s needs front and center shouldn't mean leaving yours behind?

Our generation graduated into the workforce amidst a cultural shift. Gone were pre-defined hours, roles and a steady, yet predictable path. In its place, we ushered in frequent career moves and blurred lines between work and home. I embraced that mindset wholeheartedly – and then my son was born. Suddenly I discovered that change and empowerment in the workforce is not always synonymous with change and empowerment for working parents. There are now companies whose mission it is to provide parents with both the physical and emotional resources to control and define their preferred work-life relationship. Two Birds, the only licensed childcare center with coworking space and other parent-friendly amenities, is one such company.

My first child was born during my MBA program, thrusting me into the world of childcare just as I was pivoting career paths, working freelance, without clear cut maternity leave or even standard working hours. Like many new parents, I felt I was constantly playing roulette between my professional and parental identities. I was working from home with a 2 month-old, timing conference calls to coincide with nursing, and eventually paying for full time childcare to avoid a career nosedive, when I only needed part- time.

This experience has bonded working parents across industries, from corporations to the freelance and now startup world. In lieu of flexible childcare options, parents are increasingly struggling to maintain balance between career and family – and often feeling they are winning at neither. In response, businesses have begun looking at what it means to incorporate onsite childcare. Some larger corporations have invested in building internal childcare centers, while others have contracted with local childcare facilities to prioritize or subsidize their employee’s membership. In a world of increasing professional flexibility, though, there’s a growing workforce that exists outside of this corporate America. Childcare + coworking has emerged as a solution for parents in that “in between” space.

A handful of companies across America have experimented with adding a la carte babysitting services or classes to their coworking spaces. This has provided parents with a much-needed couple of hours a week to send emails, make phone calls, etc. These businesses range from co-op models, in which parents take turns watching the children, to babysitting models in which parents remain onsite, but are not actively monitoring (similar to a gym’s babysitting service model).

Two Birds has revolutionized this model by incorporating fully licensed childcare, with both full time and part time options, with co-working space. It has created a one-stop shop for families to grow their business and see their kids grow up. With Two Birds, parents can finally have it both ways. They provide high quality childcare with a Reggio-inspired curriculum from birth to age 5, alongside coworking space to work in peace and connect with fellow parents - whether that’s in the workspace, nursing club lounge, or during the events and workshops hosted onsite. Next to a gym, Whole Foods, library, Olympic pool and OBGYN office, the center is not simply a space. It’s a community where working parenthood is not just normalized, it’s celebrated.

Two Birds is offering parent tours now, so reach out if you'd like to check them out: welcome@twobirdsdc.com For more information, visit www.twobirdsdc.com.