While there is still much progress to be made in our society's expectations of what it means to be a "mom" and what being a "dad" entails, we are seeing parents feel good about shaking things up. For example, my husband is so much better at cooking that, in our house, I'm not even asked to go grocery shopping, which is great because I happen to be much better at cleaning than him.
"Gone are the days where there is a universal expectation of adherence to a 'traditional' structure to parenting, in which a man works, and a woman is responsible for the household," Olavarria says. "As we challenge gender stereotypes, we also liberate parents to make informed and thoughtful choices about how to balance parenthood and other aspects of their lives, including careers and their passions.
"Perhaps one parent will stay home with the children, and the other will work outside of the home full-time, or maybe both parents intend to pursue their careers full-time and make use of childcare options," Olavarria adds. "More conversations are needed between parents to make informed decisions, as we rely less on those old molds and create space for choices that consider the unique strengths and desires of each parent, regardless of their gender or the limitations of traditional models of parenthood."