Happy Thursday,

Thanks for the replies yesterday. I see all of you and it was great to hear your messages of support.

I went to a Founders Workshop at the Capital Factory yesterday where I got to learn a ton of lessons from a seasoned entrepreneur. One thing he spoke of was “oh shit” and “ah-ha” moments. I couldn’t help but to think about these in the framework of parenting.

As parents, we’re constantly trying to limit the number of times we’ve done something only to find out later that “oh shit,” this might not have been the best approach. Instead, we’re perpetually in search of the “ah-ha” moments where things click or fall into place and we feel like super humans.

Has anyone had an “oh shit” or “ah-ha” moment recently? Reply to this email and let me know!

Love Parenthood? Be sure to share it with your family, friends, and social network and encourage them to join our community!

One Big Idea

Concealing Pregnancies In the Workplace

When one thinks of hiding a pregnancy, they wouldn't immediately think of Shiv Roy, fictional billionaire from "Succession." Yet, in a real-life parallel, many women, from different walks of life, find themselves mirroring her character, concealing their pregnancies in a professional setting. Today's workplaces, while intertwined with our personal lives, often necessitate this secrecy. Pregnancy, while symbolizing life and future, ironically often becomes a covert matter for many. Instead of joyfully announcing their soon to be motherhood, women find themselves strategizing – using loose clothing, camera tricks, and restrained social media activity. The fear isn't just personal vulnerability, but a very tangible risk of financial instability and missed professional opportunities.

Thankfully my wife felt comfortable telling her co-workers right away (all female team and a female CEO definitely helps…) but she has several friends who knew they were coming up for promotions and bonuses that hid it as long as they could.

We might believe that we've outpaced the days of blatant workplace discrimination against pregnant women, but the nuanced challenges many face today indicate that we're still not there yet.

Takeaway:

As the world progresses, workplaces must too. Organizations bear the responsibility of shifting from a culture of concealment to one of celebration and understanding. For young and new parents, championing open communication and supportive workplace policies is essential.

The vision for the future should be clear: a world where no woman feels compelled to hide her pregnancy for fear of professional fallout, but rather where every expectant mother can embrace and celebrate this transformative phase openly.

Trending Stories & Insights

• A new research brief from Gallup and the Institute for Family Studies shows that teens who spend more than 5 hours a day on social media were 2.5 times more likely to express suicidal thoughts or harm themselves, 2.4 times more likely to hold a negative view of their body, and 40% more likely to report a lot of sadness the day before

• Reese Witherspoon has a tough approach to parenting and it’s largely based on the following: “learning from failure is actually a valuable tool that you can't take away from kids”

• Is this going too far? A mother is working on raising her daughter in a body neutral environment, so she wrote a letter to her daughter’s doctor asking that he or she “refrain from using qualitative words” when describing her daughter’s weight.

Tip of the Day

• If you’re like me, you’ve likely caved and let your kid watch a few cartoons. One of our favorites is Bluey. What I didn’t know is that this show might teach us parenting lessons. Here are 5 of them that you could benefit from.

F**k it, here’s a dad joke

What do you call a short mother...?

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer!

Time(out) for Memes