When we became parents, it was important to each of us that we would be the primary caregivers for our children. We were keen to have them be at home with us during the day, but it was equally important that we keep our respective careers going. There was never even a question that either one of us should give up work to be the sole carer. We believe that it is important that our children are raised by a loving mother AND father - and that the idea that it should be the woman who gives up her career in order to parent is not a given.
We have come to observe that this idea that parents can look after their children in equal measure is still remarkably uncommon today. Whilst many Dad's do play an active role, all too often the balance is still tipped way too much in the direction of the woman taking primary responsibility. For many couples and families this works fine. But for many, it is a source of resentment, inequality in their marriage and the loss of self in women. We also believe that it reinforces negative stereotypes of role models for both girls and boys as they grow up and is an unnecessary burden on society.
We love that our mutual respect and love for each other and the contributions we are making to the world in our professional spheres are an important part of our lives, no more or less important than the other aspects of who we are. Whilst we, of course, love our children more than anything else in the world, we believe that a healthy and happy balance makes for a happy home.
We also believe our children benefit enormously from this arrangement. They are with either one and often both of us all the time, being taken care of by the people who care most in the world about their well-being. They are also growing up with a love and appreciate of 'work' and how we define it as a family as 'contribution'. Both my husband and I have careers of service and it's important to us that they understand the importance of making a valuable contribution to society through their work when their time comes.
In today's age, this approach shouldn't be radical and we seek to do what we can to model a parenting journey that places equal emphasis on the role that a father takes just as much as a mother. We invite you to explore some of the ways that we do this:
More on equal parenting and how we make it work:
We have come to observe that this idea that parents can look after their children in equal measure is still remarkably uncommon today. Whilst many Dad's do play an active role, all too often the balance is still tipped way too much in the direction of the woman taking primary responsibility. For many couples and families this works fine. But for many, it is a source of resentment, inequality in their marriage and the loss of self in women. We also believe that it reinforces negative stereotypes of role models for both girls and boys as they grow up and is an unnecessary burden on society.
We love that our mutual respect and love for each other and the contributions we are making to the world in our professional spheres are an important part of our lives, no more or less important than the other aspects of who we are. Whilst we, of course, love our children more than anything else in the world, we believe that a healthy and happy balance makes for a happy home.
We also believe our children benefit enormously from this arrangement. They are with either one and often both of us all the time, being taken care of by the people who care most in the world about their well-being. They are also growing up with a love and appreciate of 'work' and how we define it as a family as 'contribution'. Both my husband and I have careers of service and it's important to us that they understand the importance of making a valuable contribution to society through their work when their time comes.
In today's age, this approach shouldn't be radical and we seek to do what we can to model a parenting journey that places equal emphasis on the role that a father takes just as much as a mother. We invite you to explore some of the ways that we do this:
More on equal parenting and how we make it work:
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A DAY IN OUR LIFE - BABY NO 1
My husband and I both work from home which we consider to be a huge blessing in the mutual responsibilities of raising a family. Though not without its occasional challenges, we have found a way that works for us. We believe that teamwork is key and have applied that to all aspects of running a home and masterminding family responsibilities too. Whilst considering that each day is different, we have found it super helpful, both when travelling and being at home, that we try to keep as regular a routine as possible, not just for our daughter but also to manage our work.
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EQUAL PARENTING
In my mid-thirties, I met my soulmate, and inherited three stepchildren to boot! A year or so into our marriage we talked about what it would mean to have children together. I had long wanted to redefine what marriage and family could look like. Having come from a family of divorce, I was really looking for a model that could inspire me of a happier version of family life, of partnership between men and women in the raising of children and building a home, and, of course, I didn’t want to have to compromise between this vision and the continuation of my professional life which was important to me.
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