All In by Later Mom Ali Skylar
I was at a Motherhood Later Zoom gathering when one of the moms shared a bit about her parenting journey, and how an extremely challenging birth experience “birthed” an incredible commitment on her husband’s part to help make changes in the workplace. On a global scale, Josh Levs’ work has helped to shift societal and corporate attitudes with regard to equal opportunities for paternity leave for men.
Author of the book, All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses–And How We Can Fix It Together, “Levs was denied fair parental leave to care for his preemie daughter and sick wife. He responded with legal action against CNN/Time Warner and a public campaign that landed him on the front page of the New York Times. His effort drew support from all sectors across the United States and worldwide. The company ultimately revolutionized its policy for the better — and other numerous corporations have followed suit.”
When I was a kid, my dad took me out for ice cream, to the playground, or brought me home comic books and a candy bar when I was sick. He never changed a diaper, cooked a meal, or went to a PTA meeting that I remember. He was the “fun” guy, and I just naively accepted that my mom was supposed to be doing all the rest.
And honestly, I wasn’t even cognizant of what “all the rest” was until I got married and had a family of my own. Although part of a “more active” generation when it came to women’s rights, once I became a mom, I unconsciously became my mom on steroids. I was the “superwoman” who did it all but eventually got pretty burnt out as the “be all” and “do it all” personally and professionally.
Being part of one of the first generations that was encouraged to believe that we could “have it all” was a bit of a challenge for me. Honestly, I didn’t find the men of my generation evolving at the same pace as women who were pushing forward both professionally and personally. And without their help and support, us “superwomen” became “super exhausted” and “super overwhelmed.”
Not that my hubby and other friend’s hubbies aren’t involved with their family (they do cook, clean and do diapers unlike my dad), but I don’t think many men in my circle of friends would have fought for, or would have even wanted, equal paternity rights.
And honestly, I don’t think many of them would be so eager and excited to stay home and take care of their family for months on end while their wife went to work.
At my age, what I so love about Levs’s journey, is observing that with each subsequent generation, more and more men are stepping up in heartfelt and powerful ways, shifting the balance of family responsibility so that both men AND women can “have it all.”
As Levs’s so wonderfully shares: “What’s best for families is always what’s best for society and for the world.” Amen.
To learn more about Josh’s powerful work go to https://joshlevs.com/
To purchase the book, click HERE.
Tags: ali skylar, all in, Dad, fatherhood, having a family, josh levs, later in life mother, later mom, motherhood later, parenting, paternity leave, raising kids
