If you’re in your 30s or older, you’ve probably been told over and over and over how much different women are from men. This was largely perpetuated by the famous book, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex.” The book was written by John Gray, ph.D. … More But… Aren’t Women and Men Wired Differently?
I went into motherhood with no expectations for myself as it related to breastfeeding and/or pumping. I decided I’d give it a try, but if it didn’t work for me or for Brecken, that would be that. First of all, I don’t think we do a good job of prepping women for what this is … More Our Story: My Breastfeeding Journey
Chandler and were together 12.5 years before we brought another human being into the world. That means we had 12.5 years of being a family of two… plus a Roma-dog. ❤ Of course we fought sometimes and had rough patches but, for the most part, we were SO good at being a family of two. … More Why Your Children Can’t Be Your Only Focus
A friend sent me this article, saying it “might be a useful reference for your blog… but beware, it is enraging.” She was right on both accounts. Even though I knew what I was getting into, thanks to her preface, this article still blew me away. In particular, the fact that many couples who were interviewed … More The Current Status on Gender Norms
The mental load of parenting is insane. And historically, this falls to the mom. Why? Gender norms. That’s why. It’s not that moms are better at it or dads aren’t willing. Those things certainly CAN be true, depending on your situation. But that’s not WHY this is a recurring pattern in our society. As with … More 7 Tips For Sharing the Mental Load of Parenting with Your Partner
The minute I got pregnant, I knew that raising a child without strict gender constraints was important to me. I’m not saying that I am going to dress my son as a girl, or that I am going to classify him as non-binary. What I am saying is that I want him to feel comfortable … More Holiday Gift Guide for Toddlers – #EndGenderNorms Edition
I’ve had several people ask me to talk more in depth about Chandler’s and my journey to becoming parents in light of discovering as an adult that I carried a genetic disease. Part of this story was shared on the Mom Who Works Instagram page, which I highly recommend following. Full story below: I am … More Our Story: How Carrying a Genetic Disease Impacted Us Becoming Parents
When I first decided to start this blog, I assumed I would get backlash. I knew some people were going to call me a bad mom for wanting to be the back-up parent. I knew some people wouldn’t like that I am calling for dads to work just as hard at parenting as moms do. And … More 5 Reasons Working Moms and Stay-At-Home Moms are More Alike Than Different
Being a parent is such a hard job. We don’t talk about that nearly enough. Or, if we do mention it, we quickly follow it with “but it’s soooooo worth it” or something of the like. Well, I’m not here for that. In this blog, we’re going to sit in the hardness for a bit … More It’s Time to Change the Way You Think About Your “Village”
In order for me to feel good about launching The Back-Up Parent, there are some truths I need to address. The whole goal of me launching this blog is to offer a perspective that is not widely discussed: Enforced gender norms have created a world where mom can’t be the back-up parent and dad can’t … More Acknowledging My Privilege
