Flex Time

For Bay Area moms and dads doing freelance or contract work, life is often sent e-mails or
deadlines met (or missed) while the kids run about or vie for attention.
Luckily, a local mom got wise and opened a space in San Francisco where kids can play with licensed childcare providers while moms plug-in and get some work done in a supportive environment with other grownups.

M. Felicity Chapman started Cubes and Crayons in 2008 in Menlo Park after becoming frustrated with trying to work from home. At the brand-new Potrero Hill site, Cubes and Crayons members (fees range from $45 a month to $435 for the year) sign up for time online (or drop in if space is available), then drop off the kids (6 weeks to 7 years old) in the large, safe playspace with a 1-to-3 kid-adult ratio. With the kids cared for and close by, mom or dad can settle into a workspace upstairs and get productive! While the idea of co-working isn’t new, we love the idea of adding onsite childcare. And Cubes and Crayons has extras, like member socials, wine tastings, and date nights, that your typical rented office space/nanny setup doesn’t.

Cubes and Crayons
555 DeHaro St., San Francisco,
www.cubesandcrayons.com