Our Story
For Working Parents is our story and our mission to use our experience to support parents in the workplace.
Our daughter was born in the peak of the COVID pandemic and at eight weeks, she was diagnosed with three holes in her heart. The pure, sweet joy of parenthood was quickly replaced by the terror of a life-threatening diagnosis. We felt lost, helpless, and scared. But the challenges didn’t stop there.
Dealing with this issue during the COVID restrictions and lockdowns was a separate nightmare. Only one parent was allowed in, so Jaspreet had to shoulder the stress of hearing the heavy information and making tough decisions whilst Amit felt completely isolated and helpless on long walks outside Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Then, on Christmas Day 2020, our daughter’s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. Having already had open heart surgery cancelled twice, she now had a sudden diaphragmatic hernia that required emergency surgery on Boxing Day.
It wasn’t until February 2021 that she finally had open heart surgery at Great Ormond Street to repair two of the holes. She spent three long days in intensive care, fighting for her life.
Thankfully, our daughter is now healthy and thriving. However, our experience made us realise that every parent needs support, not just during times of crisis but throughout every step of the parenting journey – which is long, bumpy, paved with the unexpected, but equally magnificent.
We were two of the lucky ones that benefitted from empathy, understanding and patience from our workplaces; therefore, we could only imagine how much worse such a circumstance could be for parents who must face the same level of pressure at work while dealing with something that is already overwhelming and emotionally exhausting.
Relatability and empathy motivated us to start For Working Parents. The idea evolved, but the core remained intact: all parents deserve access to the support and resources they need to navigate the ups and downs of parenthood.
It doesn’t exclusively boil down to adversity. We firmly believe that balance, order, rhythm, and harmony are more important than intensity when it comes to finding contentment in life – and modern parents should not be expected to sacrifice one area of their lives to succeed in the other. You can succeed in your chosen career and have a happy family life with the right support.
We aim to turn any organisation that chooses us into a place where parents can come together to share their experiences, find solace in knowing that they are not alone, and gain the tools they need to tackle any challenge that comes their way in both their professional and personal lives.
After all, it takes a village to raise a child and a solid support system to keep the parents grounded.