There is another side to Eric Parrish besides that tough exterior you might see in the courtroom. The attorney, who practices with Parrish, Kruidenier, Moss, Dunn, Boles, Gribble and Cook, is also a parent. And a busy one at that.

Like many other working professionals, Parrish and his wife, Angie, an engineer, sometimes struggle to find enough time in the week to fit in everything that they need to get done, while making sure that their two children, ages 9 years and 20 months, are well cared for.

Recently, the couple had the idea to start a business to serve as a resource for busy families. Their plan is to open a “playcare” center with daytime, evening and weekend hours, where parents can take their children while they run errands, attend meetings or take time for themselves. They hope to open June 1 in a 14,000-square-foot building at The Village at Jordan Creek Town Center, near Costco. They are calling the center “Jack’s Bear,” named after their younger son.

“You can’t always predict when you will need childcare, and after daycares close at 5 p.m., there is really no recourse if something comes up,” Parrish said. “The idea is to offer a family resource: a place created for children where they can go have fun, socialize and be with people who love kids, while the parents get their time, too.”

A playcare center, Parrish said, differs from daycare because the focus is on engaging children in activities and getting their creative juices to flow.

“Kids can become so scheduled these days, and they need time to just be kids,” Parrish said.

Jack’s Bear will be designed for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 years. It will include classrooms for the younger children and activity areas for the older children, such as a library, movie room, theater with a stage for performances, arcade, cantina, art room, gymnasium and climbing structures. The center will be staffed by a nurse and teachers with early education degrees.

Jack’s Bear will operate on an annual membership basis. Membership fees for one child will be $55 per month, which includes 16 hours of childcare. Each additional hour costs $10. Non-members can purchase gift cards as a way to try out the center. Parrish said the center’s location is ideal because of the abundance of shopping and entertainment options nearby.

Parrish expects the busiest time for the center to be Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. During busy times, families may need to make reservations.

“Instead of a situation where the parent takes the children along to the grocery store and it ends up taking 2 1/2 hours because the kids are screaming, the kids get a chance to have fun and the parent can do what they need to do,” Parrish said. “Everyone is happier when they get home.”