Category: News

A recent survey has found most parents with children under five found it difficult to adjust to returning to work, with many worried about missing out on key moments

A recent study has revealed that it takes parents four months to readjust to the workplace after returning from parental leave. The survey, which polled 1,000 working mums and dads, with children under five, found that 53% were anxious about going back and missing key moments in their child’s life such as their first steps.

As a result of this worry, a staggering nine out of ten even contemplated not going back at all. According to the report, two thirds of parents were apprehensive about balancing work with parenting, while 39% were unsure how they would cope with the transition.

The research was commissioned by Vodafone, which provides any employee returning from parental leave the opportunity to work 80% of their hours for 100% of pay, benefits and holiday for the first six months back at work as part of its family-related leave policy.

It was unveiled that 77% of parents surveyed weren’t aware of policies similar to Vodafone’s, but an overwhelming 91% said they would utilise it if it was offered at their own workplace.

The study revealed that upon their return to work, 42% struggled with managing timings and logistics of things such as nursery pickups and childcare, often resulting in them having to work late. Consequently, a staggering 77% felt ‘burnt out’ upon their return, with the average working parent feeling this way after just four weeks.

Michelle Kennedy, CEO of online parenting community Peanut, who is partnering with Vodafone to encourage UK businesses to reconsider their workplace policies, stated: “Parents bring immense value to the workplace, and as the study shows, essential skills don’t disappear when you have a baby; they sharpen.

“When you support parents properly, everyone wins families, businesses, and the economy alike.”

According to economic modelling by Development Economics, over £10 billion could be injected into the economy and 440,000 parents could re-join the workforce if these policies were more widely available.

“Returning to work after parental leave is one of the hardest transitions parents have to make,” added Michelle, “They are expected to just snap back to their job, career ambitions and the people they were before when in reality, everything has changed.”

The data also highlighted the ‘parent penalty’ – this is where many stop applying for new roles after having a child because what they were looking for didn’t offer the support they needed.

Eight in ten said flexible working leads to a better work-life balance, and 68% see an improvement in their mental wellbeing.

“The support to make this transition easier is still rare – that’s why policies such as Vodafone’s 80/20 matter,” said Michelle.

When it comes to the strengths they bring to the workplace, 43% said multi-tasking is one of the ‘parenting skills’ that is most applicable to their job. Patience, problem solving, and empathy also ranked among the top transferrable skills.

Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs & sustainability officer, Vodafone UK, said: “Better productivity, improved time management, increased ability to multitask – our study shows just some of the skills working parents bring to an organisation.

“But businesses have a responsibility to ensure the right support is in place for parents returning to work.”

Michelle Keegan has been living in a wonderful post-baby bubble since giving birth to her adorable little girl, Palma.

The award-winning actress has been enjoying the slowness of motherhood since the arrival of her daughter, sharing tiny snippets of her baby and home-cooked meals by her husband, Mark Wright.

On Sunday evening, the dazzling Fool Me Once star teased a video of herself modelling her new collection with Very, an ongoing fashion partnership the Ten Pound Poms star has with the online retailer.

In the images, Michelle looks as stunning as ever, sporting glowing, fresh skin, waist length, impeccable blow-dried hair and a plethora of chic outfits – from charming midi dresses to suits and tailoring, in pretty pastel shades. The stylish star is known to rock dark tones, so we are all for the new showcasing of muted shades, which are total dopamine dressing at its finest. Sublime!

Speaking about the 35-piece collection, the 37-year-old remarked: “Spring is one of my favourite seasons and provides the perfect moment to refresh my wardrobe. 

“I love that this collection offers the best of trans-seasonal dressing – glamourous dresses for those spring weddings, stylish tailoring for formal occasions, and beautiful outerwear options to carry us through from Springtime to high Summer.”

Michelle and Mark’s daughter, Palma

Over the weekend, the Our Girl star also shared the cutest black-and-white snap of her baby girl’s foot. Little Palma was lying on a mat as the doting mum captioned the snap: “Simply magic,” finishing it off with a sparkling emoji.

Palma was born on 6 March and the celebrity couple shared an image of their bundle of joy, penning the caption: “Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl [white love heart emoji]. Palma Elizabeth Wright 06.03.25.”

Mark and Michelle regularly inhabit Spain and it’s thought that their daughter’s name is a reference to one of the couple’s favourite locales. According to Ancestry, the name Palma has Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and southern Italian roots.

Mark and Michelle have made no secret of the fact that they adore spending time in Palma de Mallorca, located in the Balearic Islands.

An additional sessions judge in Toba Tek Singh on Monday sentenced to death two men involved in murdering a woman in their family.

Maria Bibi was murdered by her father Abdul Sattar and brother Faisal at Chak 477-JB Allowal on March 17, 2024. Her body was exhumed for autopsy on March 28 after a video of the crime went viral on social media and received large-scale outcry.

The main accused, Faisal, had admitted in his statement on camera, recorded by media persons while he was in police custody on March 31, a day after his arrest. He confessed that he had raped and strangled his sister to cover up an incestuous relationship with her. However, a DNA report had shown that the girl was neither raped nor was she pregnant as it was earlier alleged.

The police had subsequently mentioned in the first information report (FIR) and challan of the case that the girl was murdered by her father and brother in the name of honour and the FIR previously registered under Sections 34 (common intention), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) and 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) had been amended and Section 311 (honour killing) had also been inducted in it.

Faisal’s brother Shahbaz and his wife Sumaira were also arrested in a separate case on the charge of hiding the murder from police. They had told the police that Maria had informed them a day before her killing that Faisal and their father had raped her. Shahbaz had claimed that he had secretly made a video of the murder by pretending to be talking to his other sister, Kausar, on the phone.

Additional Sessions Judge Abdul Hafeez Bhutta presided over a hearing for the case today and delivered his verdict.

A short order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said Shahbaz and Sumaira were acquitted by extending the benefit of the doubt to them and ordered the former’s release with the latter already on bail.

“The prosecution has successfully proved its case against accused persons Muhammad Faisal and Abdul Sattar beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, I convict accused Muhammad Faisal under Section 302(b) PPC and sentenced him to death as tazir for committing the murder of Maria Bibi.

“I also convict accused Abdul Sattar under Section 302(b) PPC read with 34 PPC and sentenced him to death as tazir for his shared common intention in the murder of Maria Bibi. They be hanged by their necks till they are dead,” the order reads, adding that the sentence was subject to the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) confirmation.

It also ordered them to pay compensation of Rs1,000,000 each to Maria’s legal heirs under Section 544A of the Criminal Procedure Code, to be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

It added that they would undergo six months of simple imprisonment in case of non-payment. The order directed that the convicts be sent back to the district jail for commitment warrants for the execution of the sentence awarded to them and that the case record be forwarded to the LHC to confirm the death sentence.

It lastly said that the convicts could appeal against the verdict within 30 days.

A statement by the office of Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah explained how the authorities had taken quick notice of the case and assigned it high priority to see it to sentencing.

“It is the responsibility of the prosecution to bring the accused to justice which the prosecutors of Punjab are doing well by utilising all their capabilities,” Shah was quoted as saying.

Talking to Dawn.com, he said the results of the high-profile cell set up by him were coming to fruition, adding that the prosecution office monitored a case at every stage from its registration to the verdict.

“The investigation was completed under the Anti-Rape Act. Sentences are being handed down in the cases after full implementation of the Anti-Rape Act rules. The verdict in the Maria murder case is proof that the high-profile cell of the Punjab Prosecutor General Office is fully active,” he said.

If you want to treat your mum to some new items for her wardrobe this Mother’s Day, Boden has launched a new sale with up to 40% off fashion. 

The weather is warming up, and there are many spring-ready pieces to consider, with dresses, jackets, and denim staples all included in the discounts, as well as accessories such as bags and jewellery.

The brand’s sizing ranges from four to 22, plus many pieces also come in petite, regular and tall options, so there’s plenty of choice.

If you’re on a budget, basics such as plain T-shirts or vests start from just £16. However, it’s also a chance to save money on staples that are usually expensive without the sale and will remain in your wardrobe for years. We’ve browsed the sale and picked some of our favourite pieces to buy right now.

Pastel colours are popular at this time of year, and the Lena Stitch Detail cardigan is the perfect spring version of the classic striped jumper. Ideal for everyday casual wear, there’s now 39% off.

The cardigan would be easy to style with jeans, but you could also wear it with a denim skirt or throw it over a plain dress when it gets cooler in the evenings.

Boden’s Highbury Casual Jacket offers a fun pop of pink with contrasting green stitching. It would be convenient for transitional weather. Though spring promises milder days, you’ll probably still need an extra layer. 

It has a slightly cropped length and is shower-resistant, so it’s practical, too. You could wear it over a basic outfit like a T-shirt and jeans and still make a statement. The jacket usually costs £130, but it’s reduced to £84.50 in the sale.

Animal print works all year round, and these Boden Leopard jeans are an elevated basic for when you want an alternative to plain denim. The ‘girlfriend’ fit means they have a relaxed fit with some stretch for comfort, and they come in petite, regular and long lengths. Save 44% off as the jeans are slashed from £90 to £54.

These would look great with a T-shirt, gilet, and trainers, or a boho blouse and cowboy boots, a stylish spring option for dressier occasions.

Boden is known for its patterned dress, and the Maeve Trim Jersey Midi Dress would usually set you back £98, but right now, it’s reduced to £58.50.

The floaty style looks comfortable to wear all day long, and the elegant tie cinches at the waist. Simple styling is best with a statement print like this, so you could layer it with a classic denim jacket and wear trainers or sandals.

It even looks versatile enough to wear to a wedding if you pair it with heels and pick a bag that matches one of the shades in the pattern. 

When Tamron Hall was growing up in Luling, Texas, her parents didn’t play when it came to respect. “I was raised by a phenomenal mom and beautiful stepfather, but they were very, very strict,” says the TV host. “You couldn’t question anything.” And while Tamron gives her son, Moses, 5, a lot more autonomy, she firmly believes in boundaries. “I want him to have agency to speak up, but I also want him to understand respect.” To that end, she uses time-outs whenever Moses is in a “spicy mood,” as she calls it. “People see that as conservative parenting these days, but I’m ok with that,” she tells me. “It works for me and my kid.” 

I think a lot of parents are trying to straddle that line between enforcing the rules and giving their kids some freedom. Tell me about the last time you doled out a time-out.

We were at dinner and he said, “I’m not sitting down. I’m leaving this restaurant.” I said, “We’re all sitting here together. Please sit down.” And he said, “No.” He’s 5. So, we walked to the bathroom and I gave him a time-out. I said, “You have to stand right there for three minutes.” People came in and out. And after three minutes, I said, “Let’s go.” It doesn’t always work but we’ll practice time-outs even when we’re out and about.

The last time Parents interviewed you, Moses was a teeny-tiny baby. How have you changed since then?

I’ve evolved in the sense of recognizing what’s important. And I don’t mean that in this cliché, oh, “family means the world to me and work is on the back burner” way. That’s not at all what I mean. Pre-Moses, things felt enormous and I had to live up to certain expectations but I’ve learned that, many times, life gives you a second or third chance at most things. This has given me a greater perspective on what really matters. And my biggest responsibility is this child I’m helping to form.  

Congrats on your new children’s book, Harlem Honey: The Adventures of a Curious Kid. It was inspired by Moses and centers on a boy who moves from Texas to Harlem, New York, and has to adjust to his new home. 

It’s a celebration of curiosity and an opportunity for parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to talk about fears. How do you face your fear? My kid is a slow burner. Once he’s in the room, he’s full blast, but it takes time to get him to say hello. I find myself often feeling socially awkward or afraid to walk into a room. Even though I live my life on TV, if you catch me at a party, I’m probably like the mouse in the corner. And when I had my son, I recognized some of those same traits, what we refer to as being shy. I was deeply challenged by how to raise a kid who is properly cautious, but also feeding curiosity.

So you wrote a book about it! That’s amazing. How do you practice self-compassion?

I work out at home. I’m not booking boot camp appointments. But I pull out my mat. I love having a window of meditation in the morning and at night. I pray before I step out of my bed, before I move. I pray, not just for my family, but for people who I will never meet, because we’re all connected. Before I walk out of the doors of my talk show, I ask the universe for words that will reach people, whether those words are meant to entertain or inspire.

You’re balancing a big job with motherhood. How do you disconnect? 

Cooking has become very therapeutic for me. I cook dinner four or five times a week, which people are shocked by but I pre-plan. I love sitting down for dinner. It doesn’t always work out in sync. Sometimes Moses has to start a little earlier, but I’m OK with that imperfection. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I love that phrase because life is good and it’s good even when it’s challenging. And I’m not seeking this perfect formula anymore, professionally or personally.

A Final Thought

Let that be a lesson to all of us. The pursuit of perfection shouldn’t be the goal. It’s completely unrealistic and sets us up for failure. I love the idea of “good enough” as a form of self-compassion. Especially if we want to raise kids who understand that it’s OK to make mistakes as long as we can move on from them. Here’s to letting go of high expectations and enjoying life a little more.

A woman has been blasted for suggesting a very unusual name for her baby –  with many insisting that it will put them at risk of being ‘bullied’ later in life.

The cousin of an expectant mother, thought to live in the US, took to Reddit last week to ask readers for advice on how to stop her cousin giving the baby an unusual name.

Writing on the forum, the Reddit user wrote: ‘I just got invited to the shower for my cousin’s baby.’

‘And she’s naming the baby Trucklyn…’, they revealed, evidently disapproving of the unconventional suggestion.

The name, which would be impossible to find in most conventional baby name books, sparked hysteria among Reddit users who were in stitches after reading the unique moniker.

Despite the looming birth, none of the guests invited had suggested she consider a new name, leading the cousin to wonder whether it was in their hands to try and persuade the mother to pick a different name.

Frustrated, the wrote in the post: ‘No one is saying anything in the group chat about the fact that they’re going to name this baby Trucklyn.’

The radio silence from the other partygoers left them feeling as though they had no choice but to raise it to the mother.

‘I think I have to go to the baby shower to try and get them to change it? Or at least figure out why?’

Adding to the thread, the poster shared that the baby had since been revealed to be a boy, and that they’d trying to work out whether the name suggestion was all part of some elaborate ‘joke’.

She added: ‘It’ll be a baby boy.

‘I’ve been trying to to figure out whether or not it’s a joke/placeholder name but haven’t gotten anything back yet. will update with my findings.’

Several flocked to the comments to express their thoughts on the strange moniker.

One insisted: ‘It is your duty to try to convince them to change the name.’

‘Just keep calling the baby ‘Truck’ and ‘Trucky’. When you talk to people say ‘Can’t wait to meet Truck-Truck!’ The mom will hate it, maybe she will change her mind,’ one jokingly suggested. 

Another wrote: ‘“No one is saying anything in the group chat about the fact they’re going to name this baby Trucklyn” is hilarious. I’m sorry but I agree, it is your duty to show up to try to convince them to change the name. Be like… “oh for her first Halloween she can be a Monstertruck!” just to really let it settle in.’

‘Poor kid wont stand a chance,’ another remarked. 

Another wrote: ‘It’s absolutely not a name I would choose, and I would not be thrilled if a relative named his/her child that, but when we really think about it, what other people name their kids is their choice, after all. 

‘Unfortunately, their kids have to live with it, just as our kids have to live with the goofy things we do. And we all do goofy things and make questionable decisions sometimes.’

It comes after the top baby names for 2024 were revealed.

The latest list of the top 100 baby names for boys and girls were unveiled by Babycentre in January – and while some names took an impressive climb up the list in 2024, others tumbled down. 

There was no change to the number one girl and boy spots this year as longtime favourites Olivia and Muhammed continue to dominate. 

In the girls’ top 100, almost half of the girls’ names in this year’s list end in an “a” – a staggering 46 out of the top 100.

Lily sneaked up to third place, Isla climbed up to number four and Ava held on to fifth place.

Grace climbed up to sixth place, Sophia took seventh, and Freya and Ivy are eighth and ninth on the list. 

Margot and Gabriella have also made impressive debuts, proving that classic names with a touch of glamour are still highly favoured.

Meanwhile, though Lily has become significantly popular among expectant parents, the alternative double L spelling, Lilly, has seen a significant drop after positioning in the mid-90s in 2023. 

For the boys, Jason has suffered a dramatic fall – slipping entirely out of the top 100 after years of being a classic mainstay. 

In the boys’ chart, Jaxton also fell to 64 on the list, while Austin crashed down to number 91.  

The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has confirmed the abduction of one of its priests, Reverend Father John Ubaechu, who serves as the parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church in Izombe Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State.

A statement released by the Archdiocese Secretary, Reverend Father Patrick Mbarah, said that the priest was taken on Sunday, March 23, 2025, while travelling along Ejemekwuru road en route to the Priests’ Annual retreat.

The Archdiocese has urged all Christian believers and individuals of goodwill to fervently pray for the swift and safe return of the priest.

In the meantime, the Imo State Police Command, through its spokesperson Henry Okoye, announced that the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Aboki, has initiated an investigation into the matter and has ordered an intelligence-driven operation aimed at the unconditional rescue and release of the priest.

He appealed to the public to assist the police with any relevant information that could help in securing the release of the kidnapped priest.

” Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick suggested this week that only ‘fraudsters’ would complain about missing a monthly Social Security check, and that most people wouldn’t mind if the government simply skipped a payment. — Axios

– – –

People are overreacting that the Trump administration’s planned overhauls of the Social Security Administration could lead to delayed or missed Social Security payments and cause senior citizens hardship. Take my 94-year-old mother-in-law Barbara—if her check didn’t come as scheduled, she wouldn’t even complain—because she would soon be dead.

Unlike most older people in this country, Barbara doesn’t sit around defrauding the American taxpayer—namely, herself, who paid Social Security taxes her whole life—by living on an income so fixed that if her Social Security check was even a few days delayed it would cause bills to go unpaid, late fees to be assessed, and her entire financial future to depend on the outcome of Wheel of Fortune’s My$tery Wedge 10k Giveaway.

No, she would be totally fine without her check. Barbara is not one of those self-important elderly people who need to eat food to survive. She can subsist solely on quartered containers of yogurt and the knowledge that she is fulfilling her patriotic duty to, as the President said, make sacrifices in the short term that will pay off later. So if she can just forego eating for the days, weeks, or months it will take to undo all of the avoidable mistakes the administration will make in trying to change Social Security, she will certainly be able to afford food again, after she has passed away due to malnutrition.

And she doesn’t worry about running out of medication either because she knows she can just ration it for a little while if she needs to, for the sake of the country. If she just has one small stroke per day after she runs out of blood pressure medication instead of one massive stroke on the first day, she may be able to go on living for up to a week before she still dies anyway.

If she can just keep her mouth shut and die, why can’t everyone else on Social Security do the same? It just goes to show that people who would complain about a missed check are fraudsters who feel entitled to social security just because it is an entitlement program. What’s next? Older Americans also feel entitled to affordable healthcare from the Medicare program just because it is also an entitlement program they have paid into their whole lives.

Barbara is a woman who gets by on her gumption, not by sitting around waiting for a handout. She knows that if someday, probably very soon, her check doesn’t arrive, she could just call up her billionaire Treasury Secretary son-in-law and ask for some money. And if it turns out she doesn’t have such a son-in-law (sorry, Barb!), then at least she will die knowing her daughter is very happy with a nice man who she totally doesn’t care isn’t rich.

My mother-in-law is representative of the many older Americans who I am sure will be on the right side of history by falling in line with a corrupt government trying to dismantle a program that is universally popular across party lines, ultimately dying in the process.

As ol’ Barb always says, “It’s shameful to use a made-up story about me to score political points; I never said any of this.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush are celebrating the beauty of parenthood with their latest children’s book, I Loved You First, out on March 25, 2025.

“This one really is the type of book that you would give a new mom,” Jenna tells Parents. “I would have given it to Barbara, who just had a baby, because it’s all about looking at the world through your kid’s eyes and just being delighted.’”

Families will count constellations, imagine shapes in clouds, and view hiking canyons through Ramona Kaulitzki’s nature-inspired illustrations.

“We also wanted it to be a reminder to parents and kids of the beauty around us and how seeing the world through your children’s eyes can really remind you of presence and the magic that’s in the every day,” says Barbara.

Kids will also be encouraged to embrace how special they are. “We loved creating an excuse to just tell kids, before they go to sleep, how loved they are,” adds Barbara.

For the former first daughters, the idea for their new book was inspired by their own parenting journeys and their family bond.

Working Together as Sisters 

The new children’s book follows Jenna and Barbara’s New York Times bestsellers Sisters First and Love Comes First.

“We love having any excuse to work together, because it means we have opportunity to spend time together,” says Barbara.

A new book comes with a new book tour, or what Barbara calls the “slumber party” and “sister sister trip” that they always want to take. Their nationwide book tour kicks off on March 25, 2025, until March 30, 2025. “That means we just get to spend 24 hours a day with each other,” says Barbara. “Our lives are busy, so we’re always looking for a reason to be able to do that.”

Barbara will also be co-hosting Today with Jenna & Friends on March 24, 2025, and March 25, 2025.

“It’s been fun working on the planning of it and thinking about what stories we might be able to cover when I’m on,” says Barbara. “At the same time, I’m happy that it’s not my day job, so I’m excited to do it for two days and then retreat to my private little life.”

Kicking Mom Guilt to the Side

Jenna & Friends, which debuted after the departure of Hoda Kotb, has been a memorable experience for the host.

“It’s such fun energy to have different people in every week,” says Jenna. “I didn’t know Dwyane Wade, and I’m obsessed with him now. He was on The Tonight Show, and he was like, ‘I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t want to leave.’ And I’m like, that’s how I feel; I don’t want him to leave.”

Of course, Jenna misses her former co-host and their time on Today With Hoda & Jenna. “Having Hoda as a partner was super fulfilling, and having that kind of chemistry is unusual,” she says. But she’s looking forward to meeting more new people and all her future co-hosts. She also has one she’s really hoping for.

“We’re in the process, but I would be obsessed and do anything if Oprah would do it at any point,” says Jenna. “So, just say a little prayer for me.”

Meanwhile, Barbara is just as busy as the board chair and cofounder of Global Health Corps, which mobilizes young leaders to tackle the world’s biggest global health challenges.

But they aren’t letting mom guilt get the best of them.

“I just realized that mom guilt is not beneficial and all it does is make you feel bad,” says Jenna, who is mom to Mila, 11, Poppy, 9, and Hal, 5. “I probably felt it at the beginning—honestly, I can’t even remember. But now, when I’m with my kids, I just choose to enjoy it; when I’m not with my kids, also enjoy that.”

Admiring Each Other’s Parenting

While the sisters say they aren’t giving each other parenting advice, they do inspire each other in various ways.

“Barbara’s a super-present mom,” says Jenna. “We both work, so we’re away from our kids during the day and during different hours. I think both of us want presence; we want the time that we are with our kids to be really impactful. I’ve just seen how Barbara has been present with her children, which is really, really inspiring.”

What’s her tip for staying so present with her two kids? “I travel a lot for work, and so when I’m with them, I try to be 100% with them, and have my phone in the other room so that I can be fully with them,” says Barbara, who is mom to daughter Cora, 3, and baby boy Edward, 6 months.

She says she also learned a lot by watching Jenna parent and from her own aunt duties.

“I got to watch Jenna be a mom for so many years before I became a mom,” says Barbara. “And so I both got to see her be a mom, and got to interact with Mila, her oldest, and Poppy, her second oldest daughter, through so many stages of their lives, as babies and then kids, before having my own kids, which just taught me so much.”

Now Barbara is adjusting to being a mom of two which she calls a great transition.

“Luckily, my daughter is crazy about my son and really sees him as her baby, and she she calls him her baby,” shares Barbara. Cora loves helping to put him to bed every night and wake him up in the morning. “It’s really fun that she gets so much joy out of her little baby brother,” she says. “And he laughs and laughs at her, which she just loves. So that’s been really sweet.”

Lessons Passed Down From Their Parents 

Jenna and Barbara are also eager to pass down lessons they learned from their own parents, 43rd President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.

“Our mom taught us the love of nature, and her mom, Jenna, who my sister is named after, taught that to her,” says Barbara, who is making it a point to share that with her toddler.

Another big lesson is independence. Jenna is understanding the importance of that even more so now that her oldest daughter is going into middle school.

“I’m not going to be part of all of her memories, and nor should I,” she says. “I want to give my kids as much independence as possible, obviously, in a safe way, so that when they become older, they can kind of stand on their own two feet, and they’re not looking to me for every answer. They’ll have that within themselves. My parents were very much that way. They gave us a lot of independence. And I think that’s one thing Barbara and I both admire and want to emulate.”

Back to their children’s book, they are both also passing down a strong reading foundation. Their grandma and former First Lady Barbara Bush pioneered a literacy movement across the country, after all.

“When we were kids, our parents read to us before going to bed, so it’s really part of our daily and nightly ritual,” says Barbara. “My daughter expects it before bed. We get under the covers and cuddle and read, and I remember that same feeling when we were little, of being cuddled up next to our parents—safe and warm, and cozy reading.”