I’m here to confirm a suspicion. The weight of parenting never goes away. We put a lot of societal emphasis on preparing for the arrival of a baby and taking care of parents when a family goes from two (parents) to three (parents plus one).
And a new baby’s a big freaking deal, don’t get me wrong. Especially for working parents. But after that, the waters get murkier. And deeper, I might add.
Let’s just take a few other important stages of childhood and parenting for consideration:
- Keeping a toddler safe when all she wants to do is climb
- Transitioning a 5-year-old into kindergarten, or deciding to give him another year
- Guiding a child—all elbows, knees and awkward dance moves—through middle school
- Supporting teenage independence while keeping them safe
- Helping a young adult channel their interests and experience into lifetime pursuits
Oh, and welcoming a sibling! It doesn’t matter what age the older child is when it happens. It’s always an adjustment.
What I’m getting at here is that parenting is amorphous. Parents adapt to fit the needs of their kids and their kids’ circumstances. And there’s something else that tends to shape itself around the person and the person’s circumstances. Careers.
What if we thought of these two pursuits of adulthood in a more complementary fashion? What if we thought of shaping workplaces around who people are outside of work, family and all?
This is the sandbox of Vivvi, a company that operates six childcare campuses in New York City and also partners with employers of all sizes to make exceptional full-time, part-time and backup care more accessible and affordable for working parents. Vivvi’s thought leadership in this space is impressive too.
I found “Beyond Parental Leave,” published in partnership with Werklabs, the research and insights division of The Mom Project, to be particularly insightful. And I knew we had to feature this company in our ongoing Brands We Love series.
- The campuses look so cool. I want to go back to preschool myself!
- It’s admirable to see another leadership team that’s walking the walk and talking the talk.
- Lived experience supports the authenticity of this brand—check Vivvi’s blog for yourself.
- Some people who see problems build problem-solving brands, and Vivvi is one of them. P.S. A logo that jumps is a definite bonus!
As a small company, we punch above our weight in offering benefits that working parents need. And we take care of our people outside of that window of life, too. It’s all part of seeing the human in addition to the employee. I’m encouraged to see other brands taking this seriously too.
