Lately, I have been fortunate enough to see something that was almost completely absent early in my career: leaders bringing their kids into work.
Sometimes it’s an office visit. Sometimes a company social event. Sometimes a child unexpectedly appearing on a video call and being greeted with genuine enthusiasm rather than awkward apologies.
These moments may seem small, but I have found them genuinely inspiring and rewarding.
What many of those leaders may not realize is that when they share stories about their children, talk openly about family life, or allow their kids to occasionally appear in work settings, they are doing more than offering a glimpse into their personal lives. They are opening up an entirely different way of working.
They are signaling that success and parenthood are not mutually exclusive. They are showing others that being a committed professional doesn't require hiding an important part of who you are.
That shift matters.
My boys making an office visit… still not sure if it was to see me or for the snacks!!
For decades, many workplaces have operated as though our professional and personal lives exist in separate lanes. We have become much better at talking about mental health, wellbeing, and flexibility. We encourage people to be authentic and bring their whole selves to work. Yet when it comes to parenthood, there is still often an unspoken expectation that one of the most important parts of a person's identity should stay largely out of sight.
Of course, this is not about having children at every meeting or eliminating child care. Boundaries matter. But there is a significant difference between maintaining healthy boundaries and acting as though family life has no place in workplace culture.
The most progressive organizations are starting to understand that distinction.
Camp @ Cannes is one example. Created by The Female Quotient, the initiative was designed to help working parents attend and participate in Cannes Lions without feeling forced to choose between a career-defining opportunity and their family responsibilities. Inspired by Lowe's Kids Club programming, it provided creative experiences for children while their parents engaged in the festival, challenging the assumption that professional growth and family life have to compete.
A thoughtful way to make kids feel included in the Cannes programming.
It's also reflected in companies that host meaningful family days, orchest Bring Your Child to Work experiences, celebrate new babies alongside promotions, send children's holiday gifts, or acknowledge milestones like the first day of school. Some organizations create family resource groups, offer programming specifically for working parents, or intentionally invite families into moments of recognition and celebration.
On the surface, these efforts may seem small. But collectively they communicate something important:
We don't just value what you do. We value who you are.
As a working mom, I have learned that parenthood may be one of the most challenging leadership journeys many of us will ever undertake. Every day requires us to manage competing priorities, adapt when plans change unexpectedly, navigate difficult conversations, coach developing humans, and lead through uncertainty.
Those aren't experiences we leave at home when we log into work. They are experiences that shape how we show up as colleagues, managers, and leaders.
And yet many parents still feel pressure to minimize that part of their lives. They hesitate to mention the school play they need to attend. They apologize when a child appears on a video call. They worry that talking about family commitments will somehow be interpreted as being less serious about their careers.
That's why recognition matters.
When organizations acknowledge parenthood as a meaningful part of an employee's identity, they help remove the false tension between being a dedicated professional and a committed parent. They send a message that these roles aren't competing with one another. In many ways, they strengthen one another.
Building that kind of culture doesn't require a significant budget or a formal initiative. More often, it happens through hundreds of small signals.
What can managers and leaders do?
Managers play a particularly important role here. A manager who remembers a child's name, asks how the soccer tournament went, celebrates a college acceptance, or checks in after the first week of kindergarten is doing more than making conversation. They are demonstrating that employees don't need to compartmentalize their humanity at work.
Leaders have an even greater opportunity because culture is shaped far more by what people observe than by what they read in a handbook. When leaders openly talk about parenting, leave for a school event without apology, or share the realities of balancing work and family responsibilities, they normalize those experiences for everyone around them.
When leaders model that belief consistently, people gain confidence to show up more authentically. They stop editing every reference to their personal lives. They stop apologizing for being parents. And they begin to see that they can be ambitious professionals and present family members.
The organizations that will stand out in the future will recognize that many of the people driving innovation, leading teams, building brands, and serving customers are also raising the next generation.
