\u201cMom, I need to tell you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a work-from-home mom, you\u2019ve likely heard this phrase a million times, as your child \u2013 no hesitation \u2013 interrupts your train of thought, your creative flow, or even an important transatlantic video call. Unexpected disruptions, delivered with varying degrees of diplomacy, are a daily reality for those working from home, even when kids are surrounded by peers or older carers. A tooth that suddenly wiggles, a secret that needs to be shared immediately, or a noise from the neighboring apartment that must be investigated \u2013 these are just a few of the inventive scenarios my daughter dreams up to get me to look away from my computer.<\/p>\n
These thoughts cross my mind as I head downtown with her on the last day of the Christmas break. Our destination is the WHEN Hub, just a four-minute walk from Omonia station. Will we both be able to have a productive four-hour stretch under the same roof?<\/p>\n It\u2019s about 10.30 a.m. and the \u201cmini-hub\u201d is welcoming its visitors. Anna Konstantinou, a play facilitator and the mini-hub\u2019s operations manager, goes over the rules: Children join in activities while their parent or guardian works within the building. They can take breaks to check in with their parent, have a snack or rest. On the third floor of the neoclassical building, there is a specially designed parent-child room.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call it the nursing or isolation room, but it\u2019s designed to meet any needs children might have at this age, such as taking a moment to calm down away from the others\u2019 gaze,\u201d explains Iphigenia Papamikroulea, the hub\u2019s manager.<\/p>\n Playtime during this pilot phase runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the team accommodating up to eight children at a time. \u201cI have five experienced volunteers who support the program in shifts throughout the day to meet the needs of children of all ages,\u201d says Konstantinou.<\/p>\n The separation process is generally smooth. \u201cEven preschoolers are usually familiar with these kinds of routines \u2013 they\u2019ve been to play centers, parties or extracurricular activities. Of course, we give them time to adjust when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n And that\u2019s exactly how it goes with my daughter, who sends me off to work before I can even say goodbye.<\/p>\n With my daughter\u2019s approval, I settle into an office space on the first floor, where two other adults are already working. If I am needed, I\u2019ll be notified by phone or SMS. So, I get to work transcribing an interview, aiming to finish within an hour. At noon, I have a scheduled video call with an overseas source.<\/p>\n At WHEN Hub, in addition to co-working desks, meeting rooms, small-team offices, a podcast studio and common areas (kitchens and restrooms on each floor), there\u2019s a dedicated phone booth. This comes in handy \u2013 I can talk freely without disturbing anyone and catch every word of the conversation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s now 1 p.m. and I haven\u2019t been interupted once!<\/p>\n I use this \u201cwindow of opportunity\u201d to refill my coffee cup and chat with the mastermind behind WHEN Hub and co-founder of Women on Top, Stella Kasdagli. Women on Top is an organization working for the economic and professional empowerment of women and for gender equality and inclusion in the workplace.<\/p>\n \u201cThe need for a co-working space with parallel activities for toddlers and children occurred to me in 2015 when I was pregnant with my second daughter. I started researching similar spaces abroad,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Indeed, such spaces were slowly starting to appear in Europe and the US at that time. \u201cSome were nonprofits, others weren\u2019t. The most interesting model I found was in Paris, funded by state vouchers.\u201d<\/p>\n As time went on, working conditions shifted drastically and remote work grew globally. According to Statista, in 2023, 8.9% of workers in the EU worked from home, with women leading at 9.5%.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to find a balance so that the initiative is financially sustainable while keeping our services affordable,\u201d Kasdagli explains. WHEN Hub was made possible with significant support from the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe, which includes the Bodossaki Foundation, as well as financial backing from The Hellenic Initiative, various companies and individual donors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe serve parents working remotely for large companies, freelancers, small teams without their own office, Women on Top beneficiaries, and many digital nomads who\u2019ve embraced our initiative,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n The hub was created to promote gender equality and empower women, as reflected in its full name: Women\u2019s Hub for Empowerment & Networking. However, it\u2019s also open to men, whether they\u2019re parents or not.<\/p>\n The location was thoughtfully selected to benefit all city residents equally. The WHEN Hub team is working on additional changes to make the space even more parent- and child-friendly, like extending the mini-hub\u2019s hours, offering bundled services, and partnering with large companies to \u201crent\u201d desks for their employees.<\/p>\n It\u2019s now 2 p.m. I\u2019ve finished my tasks, but the same doesn\u2019t apply to the mini-hub participants\u2019 schedule, which started with painting and Play-Doh and concluded with Sudoku, memory games and Lego. So, I patiently wait for my daughter until 3 p.m., and we leave after I assure her we\u2019ll return soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n To learn more, visit hub.when.org.gr.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"where-kids-play-and-parents-work-inside-an-innovative-athens-co-working-space0\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b2-56.jpg?1741357774408\")
Parents at work<\/h3>\n
![\"where-kids-play-and-parents-work-inside-an-innovative-athens-co-working-space2\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a6-63.jpg?1741357810979\")
![\"where-kids-play-and-parents-work-inside-an-innovative-athens-co-working-space4\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a5-61.jpg?1741357833304\")
Equality and empowerment<\/h3>\n
![\"where-kids-play-and-parents-work-inside-an-innovative-athens-co-working-space6\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b1-56.jpg?1741357854513\")
Wrapping up<\/h3>\n