Desperate for a date night, but struggle to find a babysitter?
We feel you. And so it seems, does a national childcare chain which has started offering date night childcare for families.
‘Date night childcare’? SAY WHAT?! Yep, it is what it sounds like! Childcare offered after hours for parents who want a night out without the kids in tow. Sexy times optional.
Time out sans children
Spending time with your partner that DOESN’T involve a kids’ menu and nappy bag is a rare and beautiful commodity. Finding a babysitter who you trust (and who won’t break the bank)? They’re as rare as a toddler who knows how to wipe their own nose. Especially these days when so many of us live miles away from trusty babysitting grandparents.
But a clever bunch who run the Goodstart chain of childcare centres over in WA twigged that parents are in desperate need of some time AWAY from their kids (and we mean that in the nicest possible way). So that’s exactly what they decided to offer. Because we ALL need that fabled parenting village.
Forty centres across Western Australia got behind the idea to offer a three hour stint of night time care, letting parents ‘drop and run’ (to a big glass of wine). Siblings were also included in the offer and for twenty big ones, parents could relax knowing that their little monsters were in good hands.
While being being able to enjoy a drink in peace may well be the highlight, actually spending time with your partner is an all too rare event for many families. Between kid wrangling, work and everything else that #mumlife (and #dadlife) has to throw at us, it’s rare to sit down with the one who got into this parenting mess gig with you and have a conversation about something other than swimming lessons or poo consistency.
Parents are people too! And we reckon putting yourself to the top of the pile, even if just for three hours, can help recharge those burnt out batteries.
Pizza and movies and fun… oh my
Each individual centre set their own activities, with pizza, movie nights and other special themed events on offer.
And in feedback that surprises absolutely nobody, the concept proved a big, fat pizza-fuelled hit.
The future of date night
Plenty of parents are keen to find out if the ‘date night’ initiative will spread to some of Goodstart’s 600 other centres around Australia. In response, Goodstart Early Learning says all its centres can explore hosting their own version of ‘date night’ or ‘me time’.
Could this be the start of more centres offering after hours care for parents desperate to do the ‘groceries’ in peace (or enjoy a wine or two without wrestling their glass off of a two-year-old)? Time will tell.
Confused about changes to the childcare rebate and subsidy? We’ve got you covered with our easy to understand guide.
