Where you can “park” your child

In recent yeas, “baby parking has become popular in Romania, as well, in particular Bucharest.

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 13.12.2015, 12:00

For those days when you want to do something for yourself and you dont know what to do with your kid, people came up with an idea that has been growing popular in Romania as well, especially in Bucharest: “baby parking. It is actually a long-hour entertainment club for kids, open every day of the week, where parents can leave their children aged 0 to 14. In this club, children can participate in workshops or just play, and are supervised by trained educators, who do not punish or reward them, but who believe in discipline and common sense. We asked Adina Serafi, the coordinator of this project in Romania, to tell us how it all started:

“The idea is actually an old one, from the times when we, as parents, were looking for a place where we can leave our child from time to time and in total safety, for us to have some time to see a movie, a theatre play or go to a concert without having to resort to a neighbour, the cleaning lady or a temporary babysitter. So, we have put into practice what we wanted to have some years ago. Weve created a small and warm place, which has a room for play and practical activities, one for baby parking and another one where children can take a nap or eat. Its an intimate space, where children can feel at home. Its not a playground as such. When there are no specific activities planned, then the entire house is at the childrens disposal.

The house and the garden, which cover a total of 135 square meters, make up this so-called ‘parking lot, which can easily turn into a place for theme-parties, adapted to individual occasions and to any age-group.

Besides entertainment, the offer has been extended to include theme workshops, aimed at developing childrens individual skills. Here is Adina Serafini again with details:

“We have just started these workshops, weve only had two, actually, but there will be more. We will organise workshops both for the little ones, to diversify their activity when they spend more time on ‘baby-parking, and for the older ones. For now we have and improvisation workshop, run by actress Carmen Lafazan, and a theatre workshop, given by actress Oana Rusu. Improvisation helps children develop their imagination and spontaneity through specific games, which boost their creativity and skills for communication and public speaking. Also, theatre games help them increase their attention span, the power of concentration and memory, skills that will help them in school too. There will be more interesting workshops, such as the one devoted to Lego building, the fashion design workshop, for the older girls and even their mothers, the ‘psychologist on duty workshop and many more. This is an area that we are currently developing, but the main activity is that of ‘baby parking.

For those parents who, from time to time, need some time only for themselves, the idea of baby-parking is a good alternative to babysitting, as it is not always easy to find a sitter just when you need one. The place is handy, safe and extremely comfortable. What is extremely convenient is that you can ‘park your child for as long as you need, from a few hours to an entire day, including at the weekend. For the children themselves, this could be a second home, where they feel safe, they eat, sleep, have fun, sometimes even together with their own mothers or grandmothers around. Adina Serafini:

“Children seem very happy, because this is a house with toys, with children, a merry environment for them, which is funnier than just staying home with only the nanny or the grandmother. Its something in between a playground and a kindergarten. Its true that home is more intimate, and we have tried to replicate that intimacy here, where children can bring their own toys. But its at the same time different, because the location is different, they can have new toys and make new friends. It is by far more interesting for them than just stay home when the parents have to leave.