1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Katie's Crib, a production of Shonda Land Audio 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: in partnership with I Heart Radio. Can you tell us 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: like the difference between neighbors, schools, and daycares for someone 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: who was weighing it out? Sure, um, there are lots 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: of differences between them. The ones that I think don't 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: always spring to mind are thinking about the experience of 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: the caregiver directly. Part of it is meeting that person 8 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: and feeling like we're going to have open communication, we're 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: going to have a strong partnership. And you can really 10 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: only do that if you're meeting the person and you 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: understand who that person is. Now, in home daycare, that's 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: different because the person who's the set like running the 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: daycare is also the educator, and so you're meeting that 14 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: person from the get go. But even in a home daycare, 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: if they have an assistant, meet the assistant. Hello, everybody, 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Katie's Crib. WHOA Can we ever have 17 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: enough podcasts about childcare? No? Because it's impossible. And the 18 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: guest I have on today is making waves and moves 19 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: in this arena and we need to talk about it. 20 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: Her name is Bridget Garsh. She is the co founder 21 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: and chief operating officer, who excuse me of Neighbor Schools 22 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: is what it's called, It's awesome. Neighbor Schools is a 23 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: Boston based startup company that provides a platform to help 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: parents find trusted childcare while enabling childcare providers with all 25 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: the tools they need to successfully run their own home daycare. 26 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: Bridget also hosts Neighbor Schools podcast called Work Like a Mother, 27 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: and the show shares story is of incredible women who 28 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: are juggling work life and motherhood. Bridgets based in Boston. 29 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: She's the mother to two little boys, Hudson and Brooks. 30 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: I love those names. Thank you for coming on Katie's crib, Bridget. 31 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: I am so excited to be here with you. Katie. 32 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: I was on Bridget's podcast called Work Like a Mother, 33 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: and I told Bridget that Brooks was on our list 34 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: for our second child's name if we had had a boy, 35 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: because Adam and I made our Broadway debuts together at 36 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: the Brooks Atkinson Theater. So Brooks was like, I'm very 37 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: impressed that you used it. I think it's a dope name. 38 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: Oh well, thank you so much. It's actually inspired by 39 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: my mom um. We lost her to cancer. Um, and 40 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: so we I wanted a b name for Brooks. What 41 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: was your mom's name? Bobby? Oh, I love that name. Yeah, 42 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: it's such a beautiful name. And her made a name 43 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: was Howard. But my father in law's named Howard, so 44 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: that was a that's a no go, that's a I 45 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: can't do that. That's fulfilled, right, Um, So tell me 46 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: walk me through. You have two boys. What are their ages? Again? So, 47 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: Hudson is four and Brooks will be two in two months. 48 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: I can't even believe it. What were the childcare What 49 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: was your child care experience? Overall? My kids have been 50 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: in every form of childcare I think, except in O pair. 51 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: So they've had a nanny, they've been in a big 52 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: corporate daycare center. They've been in a small independent daycare center. 53 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: They've been in home daycare, they've been in home pre school, 54 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: they've been taken care of by family. I mean, they've 55 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: they've had everything, and we've pieced together this crazy solution 56 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: because the child care system is just so broken. And 57 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: I want to also recognize it away that like, I 58 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: have this immense privilege that I have options, right, and 59 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: I could afford those options in the first place, because 60 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: most families don't write like there are fifty one per 61 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: cent of families in the US actually live in a 62 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: childcare desert where they have no option at all, and 63 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: in most states, childcare is often the cost of in 64 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: state college tuition. So I want to recognize that I 65 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: feel incredibly privileged to have had those options available to me. 66 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: And part of starting neighbor Schools was because of this 67 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: personal experience in which I saw how broken, you know, 68 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: the childcare system really is. And when our CEO and 69 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: my co founder Brian asked me to to build neighbor 70 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: schools and work on solving this crisis, I was an 71 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: enthusiasm plastic yes. But the irony of all ironies is 72 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: that I couldn't actually join full time because of childcare, 73 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: because I couldn't go salary free with paying for childcare. 74 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: So I worked nights, weekends, everything until we raised a 75 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: little bit of money and then I could join join 76 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: full time. But the challenges surrounding childcare and finding childcare 77 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: are just really near and dear to my heart. Do 78 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: you have a couple of memorable moments when you were 79 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: juggling running neighbor schools on weeknights? On weekends and raising 80 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: your children into pandemic. Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness. Um. 81 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: So I had joined Neighbor Schools full time before the pandemic. Um. 82 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: But one of my one of my favorite funny memories 83 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: was we were doing an event. So this is in 84 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: the very early days of the company, and Brian, our CEO, lives, 85 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: you know, maybe three or four miles away from me, 86 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: and we met in like a Whole Foods parking lot 87 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: to exchange flyers for an event, and we kept joking like, 88 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: are the police gonna It was like midnight, you know, 89 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: there's nobody around it, shady and yeah, and here we 90 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: are exchanging flyers for like promoting childcare and recruiting more 91 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: educators to join our network. So um that that's always 92 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: something that springs the dive in like this crazy juggle 93 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: of that was the time that worked was midnight, midnight, 94 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: Whole Foods parking lot. Let's meet. Yeah, you were telling 95 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: us why why you feel so passionate and personally inspired 96 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,919 Speaker 1: and invested in the Neighbors School's idea. Can you explain 97 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: into us the start of at the very beginning, Well, 98 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: I think, like so many couples, I had never really 99 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: thought about childcare before I got pregnant with Hudson. I 100 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: went back to work with Hudson when he was twelve 101 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: weeks old. Um, my husband and I had done a 102 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: lot of research and we were very fortunate that his 103 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: employer at the time actually had child's care in the building. 104 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: So we thought, we have struck gold. This is amazing. 105 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: We are just set. And then it was probably about 106 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: when Hudson was eight months old that his favorite daycare teacher, 107 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: ms Quella left the daycare center, and then maybe like 108 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: two to three weeks later, his other favorite daycare teacher, 109 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: Ms Meg left. We were panicked. I mean we were devastated, Like, 110 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: these are the people who, when Hudson was twelve weeks 111 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: and he's this tiny, you know, human and I'm going 112 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: back to work that they learned everything about him. They 113 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: knew his you know, sleep schedule. They helped us navigate food, yep, naps, 114 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: his first coals, all of it. Yeah, everything, everything, absolutely everything. 115 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: So we were really wrecked. And it was at that 116 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: moment that we actually realized that even though we were 117 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: paying an absolute fortune, that ms Quella and Miss Meg 118 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: were making nothing. I mean, our money wasn't going to 119 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: these incredible caregivers who we, as you just said, trusted 120 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: so deeply and had become part of our family. I mean, 121 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: had since spent more time with them than they did. 122 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: But it was going to overhead expenses. And I say 123 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:01,599 Speaker 1: that not not to make daycare center sound mean and malicious, 124 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: because they're not. It's it's the reality that the economics 125 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: of the whole daycare center model don't work, right, Like, 126 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: there's only so much money that parents can pay the 127 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: cost of like rent and maintaining a building is super expensive, 128 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: and then you need all this administrative staff to keep 129 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: things running. So once all of that is paid for, 130 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: there's such a little amount of money to pay the 131 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: educators who are just essential to making childcare work, right, Like, 132 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: childcare doesn't work without the humans there. And so when 133 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 1: we started Neighbor Schools, it was with this vision of 134 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: making child care better for everybody, right like parents and 135 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: the teachers, for the teachers and for the children. And 136 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: and the way that we do that is by supporting 137 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: the caregivers, because like I was just saying, if there 138 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:08,839 Speaker 1: are no caregivers, there's no childcare period. So our platform 139 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 1: is helping these incredible caregivers open and operate small licensed 140 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: daycares that they run in their homes. And because they 141 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 1: run these daycares in their homes, there are like two 142 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: really interesting things that happen. Number One, all of those 143 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: overhead expenses that I was just talking about God completely gone. 144 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: So so that means they're typically thirty to more affordable 145 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: for families. But the most of the majority is going 146 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: to the person exactly. So instead of making thirty thou 147 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: dollars a year, which is the typical salary um for 148 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: a preschool teacher, educators can earn up to seventy to 149 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: nine dollars a year doing what they love. That's so great. 150 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: That was part of the inspiration for neighbor schools. And 151 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: then the other part of it because starting, you know, 152 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: one company wasn't hard enough. We have a marketplace where 153 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: we worry about the educators and we also think a 154 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: lot about the parents, and we want the process for 155 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: parents to be better. I remember calling around so many places, 156 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: leaving voicemails, I mean voice, never hearing back and never 157 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: hear back. I know, I know, I know, it's really 158 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 1: it's really true. I haven't had the same experience for sure, 159 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: and you can't blame you know, it's because they're totally overextended. 160 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: It's like, you want to be so pissed that you're 161 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,079 Speaker 1: paying all this money for a daycare or preschool and 162 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: someone should be fucking calling me back. But honestly, the 163 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: one person who's heading up the entire thing and running 164 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: the entire administration and trying to, you know, be held 165 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: accountable by all these parents, I mean, it's fucking impossible. 166 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: They also need to like have boundaries. I get it. 167 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: Like it's all a mess, which is why I think 168 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: it's so amazing that you're spending the time to change 169 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: this and change people's lives. Um, you start neighbor at schools. 170 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: You're doing this on weekends and week nights. I mean 171 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: it's just insane. Um, what were the first schools you started? Yeah, 172 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: we really built the neighbor Schools platform around our very 173 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: first educators. So our first educators were Miss Debb and 174 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: Miss Martha. Ms. Deb has this incredible background of working 175 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: with early intervention and working with all of these children 176 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: to help them learn and grow. And Miss Martha, um, 177 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: she was a nanny for many, many, many many years, 178 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: and so as they were going through the entire licensing 179 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: process and you know business set up process of getting 180 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: their E I N and their business bank account and 181 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: all of these different pieces. Um, would you help them 182 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: do exactly? We built the product around them to know 183 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: at every step of the way what is it that 184 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: they're they're needing and like what they're required to do. 185 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: It's like I try to put my nanny in this situation. 186 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, like you guys are holding these amazing 187 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: caretaker's hands. How do we file taxes? How do we 188 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: get insurance? How do we make sure my house is 189 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: set up appropriately? What things do I need to purchase 190 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: that each child needs to have? Is there a limit 191 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: to how many kids can be in each neighbor school? Yes? 192 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: So I think this is a really unknown fact is 193 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: that licensed home daycare is incredibly regulated and it's controlled 194 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: by the same licensing agency that oversees you know, daycare centers. 195 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: So the same health and safety standards, the same environment 196 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: are the same, and the ratios are very strict as well. 197 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: So in Massachusetts, just as an example, um, you can 198 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: have six children. I think a lot of us were 199 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: sort of scrambling during covid um, which did you notice, 200 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: like a huge neighbor school boom during the pandemic. Nobody 201 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: can say, of course, like I'm nodding away at you, 202 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: and nobody can actually see me, Daddie at you. Yes, 203 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: I'm nodding at Katie saying yes we did. We did 204 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: see this real spike in um educators actually looking to 205 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: open their own daycares, and then also families, Oh my god, 206 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: and families being like, holy crap, I'm still I'm working 207 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: from home right, my children can't go to preschool or 208 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: whatever we were doing before because of COVID. What the 209 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: hell am I supposed to do? Is there some sort 210 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: of say for option, especially before we knew how COVID 211 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: worked in little ones. But like you know, I was 212 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: hearing about all these sort of home school situation pods 213 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: popping up of like these are the six kids with 214 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: one teacher that we can get tested and everything's you know, 215 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: so you were noticing a big spike. What did you 216 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: learn from the first month that you provided services to 217 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: our initial educators and the families. That's such a good question. Um, 218 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: I think they're different. They're different, but they're they're similar. 219 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: So on the educator side, we realized how community was 220 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: going to be really important for all of the educators 221 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: who were becoming part of Neighbor Schools that if you 222 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: think of it right to be an entrepreneur, to start 223 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: your own business, to work with children all day long, 224 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:02,359 Speaker 1: you want that connection and that learning and your colleagues. 225 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: You want colleagues to be able to turn to. And 226 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: so that's another part of Neighbor Schools is the community 227 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: for educators to connect and learn from one another. Whether 228 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: that's like we do a show and tell where people 229 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: show off their spaces and everybody talks about, well, this 230 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: is how I set up my you know, UM reading center, 231 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: and this is how I set up my STEM area 232 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,479 Speaker 1: and they're all learning from one another, or it's connecting 233 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: like in the pandemic, you know, we had UM, the 234 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: lead UH doctor for who was building and working with 235 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: the licensing agency on COVID protocols come and talk and 236 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: answer all of the questions. So that was something I 237 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: don't I don't think we fully knew when we started 238 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: the company UM, but that we really evolved as we 239 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: were working with the educators themselves. And then on the 240 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: parents side, you're at this incredibly overwhelming, very vulnerable time 241 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: where it's just information overload. And so many of the 242 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: first nine parents that we've talked to you had no 243 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,479 Speaker 1: idea what to expect, right Like, they just had no 244 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: idea what they were looking for or what to even imagine. 245 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: So we knew that we needed to make the parent 246 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: experience better. We needed to make that modern and educational 247 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,640 Speaker 1: so that people were learning as they were finding child care. 248 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: So with the parent experience, what we've done is you 249 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,959 Speaker 1: take a short quiz right where you're sharing all the 250 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,239 Speaker 1: basics of you know, what days you need care and 251 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: what your budget is, but you're also we're presenting you 252 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: with things like here twenty five activities, pick three that 253 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: are important to you. And then we're doing that like 254 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: heavy lifting on the back end to say, Okay, this 255 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,120 Speaker 1: person is really interested in nature, right like, that's outdoor 256 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: space is going to be really important to them, and 257 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: building almost like there their unique profile of what their 258 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: needs are, and then teaching them about the things they 259 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: should be thinking about while they're going through the whole process, 260 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: so that when they hit submit on that quiz and 261 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: then they start to see, Okay, here are the recommendations 262 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: We've taken out all those voicemails and those phone calls 263 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: right like, you know, right away, if we have a 264 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: spot available, what are the values to that to those 265 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: parents exactly? And then surfaced all of that information like 266 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: the educators story and their background and reviews from families 267 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: so that you're not hunting and searching for it, because 268 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: when it comes down to it, it's all about transparency, 269 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: and everybody wants to feel like you are making a 270 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: really good decision because this is the most important decision 271 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: that are going to make. Like I dropped Albie off 272 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: at eight thirty today and he's getting picked up in 273 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: four So he's spending a lot of time with people 274 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: who I trust, and I am completely rest assured that 275 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: they know what type of parent I am, how I 276 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: like to parent my child, and we are in constant communication. 277 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: It's just because the kid is spending more time with 278 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: them than they are with you. So these are very important. 279 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: So it's cool. It's like you're giving them like you're 280 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: you're really making a profile and making sure that everyone 281 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: is transparent of what their wants are, what their expectations are, 282 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: um and also that we're learning together, you know, like 283 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: we don't know who this kid is yet you don't 284 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: know how to parent perfectly. You've never done it before. 285 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,959 Speaker 1: It's all a huge group effort, you know. We talked 286 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: to so many parents and it was informed, you know, 287 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: by our personal experiences as well. But this feeling, and Katie, 288 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: I don't know if you had this when I remember 289 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: being pregnant and starting and my mother in law was 290 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: like constantly, you know, what's happening with childcare? What's happening 291 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: with childcare? Have you found childcare yet? What's going on? 292 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: And I couldn't even imagine like holding a baby that 293 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: was mine, let alone, let alone these women who are 294 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: like on lists to like, like you said, of women 295 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: have no options, then some women who do have options 296 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 1: are literally trying to get on lists for daycares at 297 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: their work that might be offered to them while they're 298 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: pregnant because the list is years of a waiting list. 299 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 1: Like I have friends that work at different you know, 300 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: studios and uh in Hollywood and it's like, yes, there 301 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: might be a daycare center in the building, but they 302 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: can't even get in. It's really hard. And then just 303 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: the mind boggling nature. How was it for you that 304 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: transition of like dropping your twelve week old baby off, 305 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: like you said, like you're dealing with the hormones and 306 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: the identity shift. You just became a mom less than 307 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: three months but before, I mean, it's horrible. Yeah, it's 308 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: just horrible. I think, well, and for me, you know, 309 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: I found maternity leave really hard. Like I had gone 310 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 1: from running this big team and working with all of 311 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: these people and seeing people all day every day, and 312 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: I felt super alone and really isolated, and I kept thinking, 313 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: I can't wait to get back to work. I can't 314 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: wait to get back to work. And I was sort 315 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: of counting down from the minute that my husband went 316 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: back to work, especially he didn't even have that he 317 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: had no paternity leaves, so we took two weeks quote 318 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: unquote vacation so backwards. We do a bunch of episodes 319 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: on that on Katie's Crib about the pay family leave 320 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,679 Speaker 1: and things. I mean, it is a fucking mess. And 321 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: whoever picked like the three month mark is also insane. 322 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: We are not set up. We are not set up. 323 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: And this whole thing of like you can have it 324 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: all now, No you can't. You can't. It's impossible. It's 325 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: so hard unless you're bridget and you're making moves to 326 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 1: make changes in support the mothers and the care givers 327 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: out here. Tell us about neighbor Schools successes. Please brag 328 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: a little bit, would you? Yes? So, so far since 329 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 1: we started the company, we've launched more than seventy daycares 330 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: and we are just getting started. And through our research, 331 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: I think something that's so exciting is we've found there 332 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: are a hundred thousand people, mostly women, who want to 333 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: open home daycares, and you know, the sad part is 334 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: that ninety percent of them will fail because of the 335 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: administrative and like regulatory hurdles because there are literally a 336 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty seven steps to go through this whole process, 337 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: and educators are expected to go through it alone. But 338 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: that's we see that as opportunity because we know there 339 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: are a hundred thousand people. Think of all the child 340 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 1: care spots that that is going to create for families. 341 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: Think of all of the jobs that is creating right 342 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: for people who want to work with children, these well 343 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: paid jobs. So we see that as an incredible opportunity 344 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: and we're not going to stop until there's a neighbor 345 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: schools in every neighborhood across the country. Oh my God, 346 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: I'm have goose bumps. This is fucking amazing. How okay, 347 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: you've told us that a caregiver can make anywhere from 348 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: seventy nine a year from opening a home school. How 349 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: can a parent find a neighbor schools for themselves? I 350 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: know you're predominantly based in the Boston area. Yeah, I mean, 351 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,719 Speaker 1: first and foremost come to our website. Um, you know, 352 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: find me, find me. I'm on I'm on Instagram, I'm 353 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn, And I want to hear from people, right Like, 354 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 1: this is such a deeply personal mission um to me 355 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: as a mom and as a founder, that I want 356 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: to hear from from everybody because we see this as 357 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: a movement. We see this as an opportunity to change 358 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: the child care system for the future and to make 359 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: child care accessible and affordable for families across the country. 360 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: So we want to hear from people, and we want 361 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: to know where people are really looking. I mean, we 362 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: we look at maps, we look at you know, childcare deserts. 363 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 1: We think about all of those things as we're expanding 364 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:50,640 Speaker 1: and adding you know, new locations. Um, but knowing the 365 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: humans and the people that are in need right now, 366 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: or the people that could step up to help with 367 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: this crisis and that we could help open their own 368 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: day hairs. Those are the people were trying to connect 369 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: with each and every day. A little bit of a 370 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: dark question, But I know a lot of moms, especially 371 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: with a twelve week old going back to work, are 372 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: struggling with a lot of anxiety about passing their kid off. 373 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 1: How do does neighbor schools make sure that safety is 374 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 1: enforced within each child care location? I mean, Jesus, we 375 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: don't even want to talk about. I mean, I remember 376 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 1: I never thought I was going to be this kind 377 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: of mom, And then I remember I had to go 378 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: back and shoot a scene and my son was eight 379 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: weeks old, and my postpartum anxiety was rearing its ugly 380 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: head in this NonStop, obsessive thought of my night nurse 381 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: shaking my son because he was not sleeping, and I 382 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: know she was really tired, and I was convinced just 383 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: because my brain was looking for a villain that made 384 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: no sense. How are you guys enforcing the safety? Yeah? 385 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 1: I mean, first and foremost, that's why we're focused solely 386 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: unlicensed home daycare because the rules and regulations right, and 387 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: that means I don't I don't think even people understand 388 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 1: fully what that means, right, Like that means CPR, first 389 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: Aid certified, like medication administration, safe sleep, child development, all 390 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: of these pieces. They everybody is background checked in the home. 391 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: So it's not just the educator, but it's everyone who 392 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: lives or is frequently in the home. They're all background checked. 393 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 1: The home is um inspected by the licensing agency to 394 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: make sure that it is safe for kids, and they 395 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: do drop in visits. But so that's licensing. The other 396 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 1: piece where you know, we my co founders and I 397 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: all come from a technology background, and where we see 398 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 1: technology being so powerful here is is every time a 399 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 1: family goes to tour a daycare, right, we are getting 400 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: information from that family about their experience when they were touring. 401 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: All the families who are enrolled in a neighbor school's program, 402 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: they are getting um we're getting feedback from those families 403 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: about their experience within the program. So there's this huge 404 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 1: opportunity to really use data to have much more visibility 405 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: into what's happening on a regular basis. And if a 406 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: parent does say something, then we are able to you know, 407 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: step in immediately and talk to the educator and work 408 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 1: with the educator and the family to resolve it and 409 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: figure it out. Brilliant. I just love that you're making 410 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: school care happening homes. But you have to follow the 411 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: same rules and regulations as every daycare across the country. 412 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: So how did you start of neighbor schools services? Um? Again, 413 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: as the coronavirus pandemic like settled down, how we've adapted 414 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: to to COVID and what that's looked like over time. Yes, 415 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,880 Speaker 1: Okay got well first and foremost. When childcare was shut 416 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: down in Massachusetts, it was incredibly difficult and for me personally, 417 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:28,159 Speaker 1: I was I don't even know, thirty nine weeks pregnant 418 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: maybe with Brooks at the time that all of that 419 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: was happening. Luckily he was nine days late, so it 420 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: gave me a little extra time. Oh my god, bridget 421 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: to work with the team on it. But um, you know, 422 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: it was really hard. It was so unknown. You know, 423 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: you have you have daycare providers that we're trying to help, 424 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: We're trying to help families, right Like, that was a 425 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: really really hard time, and licensing shut down for a 426 00:28:55,840 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: while because the state was so over run by handing, 427 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: Like what do we do with all these COVID protocols 428 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: that they weren't licensing new people, and so we have 429 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: you had this perfect storm of like people needing childcare 430 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: more than ever before. We're not able to actually help 431 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: and and create more programs because licensing is shut down 432 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: and what a shit show. Yes from a business perspective, 433 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: you know. It allowed us actually some time to really 434 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: work with families and understand, like I was talking about before, 435 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: sort of the experience and how we could improve apparent 436 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: experience and especially during COVID help people feel really secure 437 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: in their choice and feel like they had that level 438 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:47,239 Speaker 1: of transparency and feel informed. Um. And then in the 439 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 1: fall of then licensing started to come back online. Then 440 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: we had more families you know, looking for care and 441 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: really the wheels started to turn and everybody came back. UM. 442 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 1: But it was more about than the transparency and how 443 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 1: do we empower all of the educators to really talk 444 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 1: about their COVID protocols. How do we help parents understand 445 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: what all the COVID protocols are UM and what's being 446 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: dictated and what that means like can you bring a 447 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: love e? Can you not bring a lovey? I mean 448 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 1: these really like practical questions. I remember this ship like 449 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: it was like, well, I kept albeit of school because 450 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: I was also pregnant, and no one knew. Oh god, 451 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: but you're right, Like, oh my god. People were like, 452 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 1: you can't you can bring a lunch, you can't share 453 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: a treat, you can't, Like, oh my god, like this trauma. 454 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: I have to unpack it for like five years. Oh, 455 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: I can't even imagine. We took my kids to the 456 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: park over the weekend and I was like, I remember 457 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: when the playgrounds were close. Oh my god, they had 458 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: they had yellow ours had yellow caution tape all over it. 459 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: Exactly they're doing construction on one of the playgrounds. So 460 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: I saw that yellow caution tape and I like had 461 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: this flashback to, oh my god, what's happening. Well, you 462 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: deserve like a thousand medals because I just fucking shut 463 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: our doors. And I was like, by you know, like 464 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 1: and I could, whereas other people couldn't. Um, can you 465 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: tell us like the difference between neighbor's schools and daycares 466 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: like pros and cons For someone who was weighing it out, sure, 467 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: there are lots of differences between them. The ones that 468 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: I think don't always spring to mind. Are thinking about 469 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: the experience of the caregiver directly right Like in a 470 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 1: center based program, if you're touring this is something I 471 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 1: had no idea about. If you're touring a daycare center, 472 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: they sure to meet the actual teachers, the caregivers who 473 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: are going to be with your child. Oftentimes it's going 474 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: to be an administrator, it's going to be a director 475 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: or an assistant director, and so really meeting the actual 476 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: people that are going to be caring for your your kid, 477 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: because as you were pointing out, Katie, part of it 478 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: is just feel Part of it is meeting that person 479 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: and feeling like we're going to have open communication, we're 480 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: going to have a strong partnership, and you can really 481 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: only do that if you're meeting the person and you 482 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: understand who that person is. Now in home daycare, that's 483 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 1: different because the person who's the set like running the 484 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: daycare is also the educator, and so you're meeting that 485 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: person from the get go. But even in a home daycare, 486 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: if they have an assistant, meet the assistant, understand their background, 487 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: their experience, and and really get to know all the 488 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 1: people who will be working with your your Kiddoh Um. 489 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: The other one that I hadn't thought about really at 490 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: all was this idea of continuity of care. Right like 491 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:15,959 Speaker 1: in most daycare centers, you transition from room to room 492 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: once you get to walking or September right, were right, 493 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: This is like my nieces in daycare. It's like she's 494 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: about to turn one, and then she gets moved into 495 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: like the walkers room where she's like the baby, you know, 496 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: because she's like the oldest in the baby room she 497 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: currently is in, and she's moved there, moving her to 498 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: one nap versus two naps. So now she's going into 499 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: like the room where the kids have one nap, and 500 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,719 Speaker 1: so her teachers will change. So a homecare situation, as 501 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 1: you will be with this one caretaker through a lot 502 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: of these milestones, whereas daycare centers your kid will get 503 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: moved from room to room or teacher to teacher. Right, yep, exactly. 504 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: And and similarly right, um, there's mixed ages, right like 505 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: in a home daycare, it's a mixed age environment. So 506 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 1: it's very mantes Sory esque in the sense of you 507 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: have the older children becoming leaders and they're teaching the 508 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: younger kids, and the younger kids, you know, see my 509 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: my son's in this great home preschool and he he's like, 510 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: oh my god, yes, oh yeah. Same, my my son's 511 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: in a mixed age two. My son's in mixed age two. 512 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: He loves the five year of the big the big boys. 513 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:27,360 Speaker 1: He's into it. And he hate my son hates the 514 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,240 Speaker 1: littles of like, dude, come on, you have a little sister, 515 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:34,719 Speaker 1: have some empathy, and he's just like no, Like the 516 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: three year old kids are like taking his ship and 517 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: he doesn't like it. Right right, Also, like self reflection, 518 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: you were just in that totally, totally yeah. But so 519 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: that's that's I think another key difference is like, which 520 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: do you feel resonates with you more? Is it important 521 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: for you to have that mixed age experience? Is it 522 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: important for you to have all of the kids relatively 523 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 1: a on the same age in this environment where you 524 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: are transitioning. So so those are some of the pieces 525 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: that that are different. That's great, that's so helpful. And 526 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: and the other piece, um is and it's so like 527 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: boring and practical. But pay close attention to your contracts. 528 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 1: Read your contracts very very thoroughly, regardless of any any 529 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: childcare setting, right, like whether you're hiring a nanny, make 530 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: sure your childcare contract is very detailed. We had a 531 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: nanny who wanted to charge us extra for like reports 532 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: about what what our child like was, what Hudson was 533 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: having trouble with, like he was having trouble with tantrums, 534 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 1: and she wanted to charge this extra for some like advice. 535 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:52,799 Speaker 1: We should do a whole we should I need to 536 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 1: do actually a whole episode on contracts. It's really I 537 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: answer so many people's questions when their first hiring a 538 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,439 Speaker 1: nanny because I have my personal experience with it. People 539 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: are like, what are paid sick days? How much? How 540 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: many weeks have paid vacation? Do you do? Blah blah blah. 541 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 1: And again when I got handed the stack of the 542 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: contract for where Albie is at preschool, it was thicker 543 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: than my Obviously, when you get married to someone, it's 544 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 1: like one fucking page. It's literally one page. And then 545 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: I'm sending my kid to preschool and it is like 546 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,799 Speaker 1: the fucking thickest thing, which I'm sure yours is too 547 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: for daycares, but you really got to look at that 548 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,919 Speaker 1: ship of like vacations, like what happens if your kid 549 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: gets hurt? Has an allergic reaction. Like you said, like 550 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: administering medication sunscreen. I mean it's like insane. Yes, it 551 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,479 Speaker 1: totally is, and it should be right, like like that's 552 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: part of what makes you feel like this is such 553 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,720 Speaker 1: a trusted environment. But I mean one of the centers 554 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: we were at, it was an annual contract and we 555 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: didn't actually know that until we signed, and then it 556 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: was like if we needed to change, and we were 557 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: on the hook for the tuition for the rest of 558 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: the year. So read the contract, retract because if you're 559 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: not happy there, you want to leave, you might still 560 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: be paying for six months. Okay, great to know. What 561 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: are a top few lessons you've learned from your podcast 562 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,720 Speaker 1: Work Like a Mother? Oh, my goodness, so many things 563 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 1: about the podcast. I mean, just to give everybody some 564 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: background about the podcast, I shared a little bit about 565 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: how I felt super lonely and isolated with my first 566 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:40,840 Speaker 1: maternity leave. Um, but I had friends, like I had 567 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:47,360 Speaker 1: these incredible fellow working mothers that I could rely on 568 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: for advice. And one of my closest friends, she actually 569 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 1: had a baby a month before me, so we got 570 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 1: to spend time together and with Brooks being born and uh, 571 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 1: pandemic where work is now remote and we didn't see anybody. 572 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: I mean, we literally didn't see anybody at all. My father, 573 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: I think, met Brooks for the first time when he 574 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: was six months old. Like, we just didn't see anybody. 575 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:23,920 Speaker 1: It was a totally different ballgame. I mean, I wanted 576 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 1: to share this experience of returning to work and all 577 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: the ups and downs and having that community that I 578 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 1: longed for and had with my first work. Like a 579 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: mother came out of that, that experience of wanting to 580 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: share that with others, to create that community of mother's 581 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,840 Speaker 1: coming together so that they could feel I think, a 582 00:38:55,840 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 1: little less alone and the other pieces. It's so easy 583 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,320 Speaker 1: and and I feel like, I mean I still battle 584 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: this right I look on Instagram and think everyone else 585 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: has it perfect. Oh my god. I actually was going 586 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:13,000 Speaker 1: to bed. I was going to bed last night thinking 587 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna fucking delete this app, like honestly and not permanently, 588 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: but just like for a week, because like I was 589 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: going to bed looking at like lunch boxes and these 590 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:27,319 Speaker 1: things for travel, and then I was like going to 591 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:30,520 Speaker 1: her shop page of like how I needed to pack 592 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 1: his snacks, and I was like, what am I doing? 593 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,800 Speaker 1: Looking at this at night. This is not her fault. 594 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:42,320 Speaker 1: She's incredible. This is my own ship. I'm so glad 595 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: Worked Like a Mother exists because it is a battle 596 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:50,719 Speaker 1: between feeling inspired by other moms, but then also at 597 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: the same time keeping it really real and patting ourselves 598 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,600 Speaker 1: on the back that even if I didn't pack my 599 00:39:56,680 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: ship the way that woman did or whatever, it really 600 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: just depends on the mood you're in. Like sometimes I'm like, oh, 601 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: that's really inspired me, and then some moods I'm I'm 602 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,520 Speaker 1: just like I'm a failure. I'm a total failure. I 603 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:12,920 Speaker 1: suck like I screamed at my son twice yesterday. I 604 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:18,400 Speaker 1: was like, yesterday was not a good mom day. But 605 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 1: I think that that's a great reason to create a podcast. 606 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: Is making women feel less alone. Information is power, making 607 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 1: people laugh and just taking away some of the perfect 608 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 1: imagery that is surrounding us. And it's just not true. 609 00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: It's just not true. What has been your favorite interview 610 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:42,319 Speaker 1: from Work Like a Mother so far? And you don't 611 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 1: have to say me. I was going to say, well, okay, well, well, um, 612 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: I have to say Emily aust I mean, Emily incredible, 613 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 1: so incredible, She was a lifesaver to me during my pregnancy. 614 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 1: And actually Brian, my co founder, is the one who 615 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 1: gave me her book, and he said, you're gonna know 616 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: the the original Expecting Better Better, It's amazing. And I 617 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 1: carried that around like bible, like I literally, you know, 618 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, like, what does Emily say about this? 619 00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:21,319 Speaker 1: Was Emily say about that? So that was a really 620 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:26,319 Speaker 1: incredible experience. And she's an incredible follow on Instagram. Yes, 621 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 1: she's an incredible following this time because it's just factual 622 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: and information. I don't feel judged. It's great. Um, that's 623 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 1: a great interview. And please everyone listened to Work like 624 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: a Mother's Emily Astar episode and Katie's Crave episode with 625 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: Emily Astar because she's looking amazing. Finish this sentence. Parenthood 626 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:56,320 Speaker 1: is a journey with lots of ups and lots of downs, 627 00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 1: and you will get through it to the other side. Everyone, 628 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 1: thank you for listening to this episode of Katie's Crib Again. 629 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:11,320 Speaker 1: Go look at Neighbor Schools dot com if you're looking 630 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,759 Speaker 1: for a neighbor school, if you want to figure out 631 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: how to start a neighbor school, if you want to 632 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: go to a neighbor school. If you know a caretaker 633 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: who should be an educator with neighbor schools. All of 634 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,399 Speaker 1: the above go to Neighbor Schools dot Com also work 635 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,520 Speaker 1: like a mother of the podcast that Bridget Garsh hosts 636 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 1: is incredible. Bridget Garsh, thank you so much for coming 637 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 1: on Katie's Crib. Oh my goodness, so much fun. Thank 638 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:45,560 Speaker 1: you so much for having me. Thank you guys so 639 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:47,839 Speaker 1: much for listening to today's episode. I want to hear 640 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: from you. Let's chat questions, comments, concerns. Let me know. 641 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,560 Speaker 1: You can always find me at Katie's Crib at shataland 642 00:42:55,640 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 1: dot com. Katie's Crib is a production of Shonda land 643 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,120 Speaker 1: Audio in partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 644 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:07,400 Speaker 1: from Shondaland Audio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 645 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:12,840 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. M M