Happy Wednesday,

This week represented a big step for my wife and I - we now have a part time nanny. Over the first 14 months of my daughter’s life, we juggled working from home with taking care of her, but now that she’s mobile and developing into a toddler more and more every day, it became clear that we needed a some help.

Our nanny’s first day was Monday, and I’ve got to say, she is wonderful. We were able to block off time for work calls, do laundry and even work out. Though she’s only helping us for two days a week, it feels great to know that in that time, we can really focus on ourselves and the things that we need to get done. While we’ve felt like we could do everything, everywhere, all at once, I can now honestly say that it never hurts to have some help.

Trending Stories & Insights

• Grand slam: Ash Barty is one of the best tennis players of her generation, having won a number of Grand Slams. Only a few months after winning her last, the Australian Open, she walked away from the game to focus on raising her son. Now she shares how her approach to training has shifted since retirement, the daily habits that boost her mental health and why being a mom to a seven-month-old eclipses all her sporting triumphs

• Forced leave: A Long Island daycare abruptly emailed these parents and told them that they were no longer welcome to come. The reason why might surprise you

• Generation Beta: Gen Alpha (2010-2014) is nearing an end and giving way to Gen Beta. With the birth (no pun intended) of a new generation comes the rise of new baby names. Jennifer Moss, the CEO of BabyNames.com, talks about the trends she’s already seeing and her predictions for what happens after 2024.

Tip of the Day

• Emotional intelligence: This parenting expert has studied hundreds of kids, and found that those with high emotional intelligence do six key things. Learn what they are and how to build the skills

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One Big Idea

Navigating Parenthood and Personal Ambition

Young adults today are faced with many nuanced challenges. One of the most difficult choices is choosing between pursuing ambitious career goals and embracing the challenges of parenthood. A Wharton professor has been studying this trend over the past few decades, noting that in 1992, 78% of graduating MBA students planned to become parents, while that number plummeted to 42% by 2012. This significant drop reflects concerns over work-life balance, financial stability, and the state of the world. This declining trend highlights the complex interplay between personal fulfillment, societal expectations, and the pressures of modern life. Where having kids was once a given for many young people, today’s world has challenged us to reconsider what it means to lead a meaningful life.

It’s unfortunate that so many young people feel the need to choose between personal ambition and parenthood, but corporate America has largely forced our hand into making these decisions. America could make different policy choices. It could decide to make it easier to be a parent and much safer to be a kid. Companies could decide to run their businesses in a much more family-friendly way. But we won’t make these choices if we keep heading down the path we’re on — to a world where children are seen as a luxury rather than our future.

Here’s a dad joke

What do a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common?

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer!

Time(out) for Memes