I never set out to build an app. I wasn’t looking for a startup idea. I was just a parent, like millions of others, trying to keep up with the sheer volume of emails about my kids, last-minute WhatsApp messages, and endless admin that comes with having kids in school.
Then, one day, my daughter asked why I hadn’t come to her reading session. I had no idea what she was talking about. A moment of confusion, followed by the gut-wrenching realisation, I had missed the email. The guilt hit hard. It wasn’t just a ‘small thing.’ It was a moment I would never get back.
I was already trying as hard as I could to keep track of everything but was overly reliant on the parents’ WhatsApp group, often missing school messages as they are scattered across different platforms and easily lost in the noise (or behind a login that requires a forgotten password). Then, recently I learnt how reliant I am on notifications and nudges when my calendar notifications mysteriously disabled themselves. I forgot a musical instrument, after school club clothes, a packed lunch and a non-uniform day, each requiring me to run back to school to fix, preventing a disappointed child and my own guilt.
The Reality of Parental Mental Load
But the guilt and mental load never stops and we, as parents, are always just one missed message away from disappointing our children. And I’m not alone. Every parent I spoke with felt the same: overwhelmed, exhausted, stretched by trying to keep up with the school admin that never seemed to end while also trying to manage the household and their own career. If you’re a parent, you know the drill.
- The night-before panic, desperately searching emails for instructions you swear you never received or the dash to the shop to buy the ingredients for food tech which you completely forgot to get in your weekly shop. Our survey found that over 90% of parents admit to having forgotten a school event.
- The essential WhatsApp group which not only helps you keep track but also can bring chaos, where well-meaning parents sometimes add more confusion than clarity.
- The school newsletter, a chaotic wall of text that makes finding out what you need to do feel like decoding an ancient manuscript.
It’s not just frustrating. It’s an emotional weight that never lifts. And for most families, that weight falls on one person: in our survey we found that 93% of mums take sole responsibility of school admin. That’s when I realised, the problem isn’t parents being disorganised; we’re all trying as hard as we can. The problem is that the system is broken.
Why I Built Kiki
I knew there had to be a better way. Not another calendar app or to-do list as those still rely on parents to do all the work. We needed something that actually took the burden off our shoulders. And that’s how Kiki was born. Kiki automates the heavy lifting of school admin by:
- Extracting key dates & information from emails and messages and adding events to your calendar in one tap.
- Summarising information in an easy-to-read format.
- Syncing it to your preferred calendar so you don’t have to change what you already do.
- Flagging urgent or time-sensitive messages so nothing gets missed.
- Connecting with any school or club that uses email to communicate with you , so you’re not reliant on school-specific apps.
For parents juggling work, kids, and life, Kiki transforms the chaos of school communication into clarity.
Building a Company That Reflects My Values
But Kiki wasn’t just about solving school admin. It was about solving a deeply personal problem for me.
Before launching Kiki, I spent years consulting for startups. I loved the challenge of bringing ideas to life, but my work always ended as the product launched. I never got to see something through to full success, and that started to feel deeply unsatisfying. I wanted to build something of my own, something I could nurture and grow.
Additionally, as a parent, I’ve seen first-hand how few companies truly embrace flexibility, part-time and fractional work. Too many still assume that if you’re not working full-time, you’re not as committed. I refuse to accept that.
That’s why I built Kiki. Not just as a product, but as a company that reflected my values. The kind of company I always wished existed.
I wanted to create a company where talented people could work in a way that fits their lives, whether that’s part-time, adjusting hours around school pickups, or taking breaks when family needs come first. Because work and life should complement each other, not compete.
Flexibility isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a necessity for modern working parents. And I wanted my company to reflect that, not just in what we build, but also in how we work.
Kiki isn’t just about fixing school admin. It’s about changing how we work and live.
This is Bigger than an App
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about reducing stress, reclaiming time, and making home life more equal. It’s about recognising that kid admin in today’s world shouldn’t feel like a second job.
I am building Kiki for parents like me, for those who don’t want to feel like they’re failing their kids just because they missed an email.
And I am building Kiki as a company that values the people behind the work as much as the work itself. Because parenting is hard enough, our careers shouldn’t make it harder.
What’s your biggest struggle with school admin? How about work-life balance? Let me know in the comments!
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