When my son started school I was working long hours, in need of friends, and suffering from school-gate FOMO.
One day I will retell the full story of how Mummy Wine Club started. But for the purposes of this article you should know that, I have been complicit in the formation of many organisations - from sports teams to tech startups - however, a small group of mums with nothing in common but the age of their kids remains my most successful endeavour.
Nescafé ran an interesting advert a few years ago where a man spoke to a theatre full of people who, we discover, are his social network of ‘friends’. As he asks them questions about their relationship with him, they moved from standing to sitting - “sit down if you have never seen me cry”. At the end of the exercise there are just a few remaining and, given that it is a Nescafé ad, they all get together and drink coffee.
This is the reality of our lives. However many people we are connected to, there are only a few that you would cross the world for. They are your "besties", your "urban family", a closed community group that is curated by you.
Whether it includes your neighbours, your family, your friends or your childminder, everyone's network will be different, and it is this curated network that you can connect with on Fetching. With every user ID verified, there are no fake profiles, so you know you have only the people that you trust the most.
When it comes to the school run, the answer to the juggle is to tackle it together. Sharing drop-offs, pick ups and wraparound care. Why? Because it takes a village to raise a child - whether you believe you have one or not. Picking up an extra child to help a fellow mum, may not be a lot for you, but it is a life saver for them and, with Fetching, the school is kept informed as well.
We are not just another app, we are the antedote to the juggle and the app that helps you build your village - one school run at a time.
Fetching is the free app that helps you share childcare amongst your network of trusted friends and family. To change the way you manage your childcare, download the app today!