Why bloom?

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“Bloom is such an important part of my family's life. We come 3x a week for 4 hours.  For my daughter, this is one of her happiest places to be in the world. She is attached to me at the hip...until we pull up to bloom. She starts wiggling with excitement to get to see her friends, and her teachers, Sarah and Amanda. My son has done drop-in sessions here when his school is on holiday, and he now asks to come everyday. I usually will work from bloom’s space unless I have a meeting or appointment.”
 

What does bloom mean to you and your family?

 

“ Working from home is a blessing and a curse. I love being able to live in yoga pants, but I really crave the camaraderie and community that working in an office provides. Bloom is the best of any situation. The space is beautiful, the caregivers are the most loving people you will ever meet, and the kids have thoughtful, enriching activities and experiences everyday. The parents who I work with have become my friends and I love spending the mornings with them. And I can wear yoga pants.”

Why bloom?

 

“Because everything.  For Adeline, to learn and develop, while making so many great friends and having fun.  For me, to be able to actually work, while knowing she is safe and not being ignored (as I was having to do). For the ability to continue nursing her, and not having to pump (YAY). For adult interaction, and making friends myself! We are relatively new to the area, and working from home does not allow a lot of opportunities to meet people.  For all the coffee and snacks (doughnuts.). For venting, support, and basically therapy. Haha. But, really.”

 

What does bloom mean to you and your family?

 

“ bloom has single handedly saved my sanity, my job, and in turn, my husband's life.  I was days away from quitting my job when I saw a post on Facebook about childcare & coworking.

 

It was impossible to balance work and watching Adeline. I was either not getting enough work accomplished, or feeling guilty for staring at my computer.  I should also mention, Adeline started walking around 8 months. As soon as I saw that post, I scheduled a tour, then called Ryan and told him what we were doing.  He was hesitant, but agreed to the initial meeting. (As I said before, his life was on the line.) At this point we had never heard of coworking with childcare. Ryan and I quickly realized it was a great solution for our family.  After spending five minutes with Amanda, I was confident that Adeline would be in the best hands possible.

 

I didn't have to quit my job, which allows me to keep full benefits and PTO. But, most importantly, I have a sense of belonging to a community. We are literally 1,000 miles away from any family, and all of our closest friends. Being a part of bloom feels like we have family here, and that is something we all need.”

Why bloom?

 

“I use bloom for the childcare and stay onsite to work. What attracted me to bloom is that I could continue to nurse Wyatt instead of being attached to a pump when I'm not with him. It's also a nice break to "check in" with him during the morning.  

 

Another perk has been the community.  For many years we commuted into the city and weren't meeting people in the area, so a real value has been meeting other local parents.
 

What does bloom mean to you and your family?

I love the coworking element of bloom! It's helped me meet other mothers, have grown up conversations, talk about work concerns, answer questions about nursing and pumping, vet different baby products prior to buying, etc.  Basically I don't do anything without running it by the team of coworking parents here!

Why bloom?

 

Primarily, I did not want my daughter to simply be looked after by a sitter or TV while I attempt to get some work done. Rather, I wanted her to have a meaningful learning experience through play and peer interaction while I give my tasks 100% of my brain for a specific amount of time.

 

What does bloom mean to you and your family?

 

bloom's coworking and childcare concept meets the needs of a young working family to the tee. Fortunately, my spouse and I have jobs that allow us to work out of a company office, and we recognize this privilege. The difficulty in the privilege is in the juggling when you have babies and toddlers. As a parent, you want to give them the attention they deserve, while maintaining obligations and responsibilities. This juggle is just so tough. bloom truly has created the small village that is so lacking in our society. I felt so blessed to step out of my personal isolation and connect with other like-minded parents, even for one term. bloom caregivers did not disappoint in showing how much they loved my child as their own!

Why bloom?

 

Dylan was eight months old and my daughter was half way through her first year of preschool. Juggling the conflict between his (lack of a) nap schedule and her school pick-up/drop-off was a daily grind. I had managed working at night or in tiny pockets when both kids miraculously slept in tandem, since my son was a few weeks old. But, I was at my wits end and knew something needed to change.

I attended Bloom's first open house, after seeing an invitation on Facebook. I was intrigued by their concept of supporting both career and family and the possibility of joining a supportive community.
Over the past seven months my whole family has flourished. I do not say this lightly...bloom has helped my. whole. family. Flourish.

Dylan has been coming to bloom a few mornings a week since they opened in January 2018. Emily has been able to join him three mornings a week for the summer, while she's on break from preschool.

 

What does bloom mean to you and your family?

 

For me, I love having a dedicated space to work that is away from the endless piles of laundry/dishes/toys that are waiting for me back at my house. Here there is always coffee, and great conversation with other parents who know exactly how real the struggle can be. Bloom has allowed me to schedule set time to focus on my work. As a result, I am able to work more efficiently. Now I feel like when I'm at work, I can work. The flip side, is when I'm home, I can focus on spending time with my kids. When my kids are asleep...I can finally sleep, too!

For my kids, they are deeply loved and cared for as they make friends, explore and play. Amanda and Sarah celebrate each milestone with genuine enthusiasm and can include me in the big stuff, like first steps and first words. Amanda has curated her space to maximize safe exploration, hygiene, and daily age-appropriate experiences both indoor and outdoor. With intention, and careful planning they create an ever-changing environment that sparks curiosity and an opportunity to learn through play in a mixed-age group of children. THIS IS NO SMALL FEAT!

In short, Bloom is not just childcare and co-working...it is full family care, and I can bring my computer and hang out with cool parents and get work done.