Parenting as a Catalyst for Advocacy: A Conversation with Blessing Adesiyan Oyeleye

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In this episode, Blessing Adesiyan, founder of Mother Honestly, shares her powerful journey as a working mother and advocate for caregivers. Blessing opens up about the personal challenges of finding affordable, sustainable care for her four children and the broader implications for families across the U.S. She discusses the critical need for companies to recognize and support the caregiving responsibilities of their employees, emphasizing paid leave as an essential transition period for parents.

Blessing also delves into the often-unacknowledged value of unpaid caregiving work and the need for policy changes that involve men in the conversation around care. She stresses the importance of empathy, curiosity, and genuine understanding from men as key to reshaping care responsibilities. This episode is a call to action for companies, families, and communities to value care more equitably and advocate for meaningful change.

Key Takeaways:

• Navigating care as a working mother is challenging, especially with limited affordable care options in the U.S.
• Companies must prioritize caregiving support through policies like paid leave.
• Valuing unpaid caregiving work is essential for recognizing its true impact on families and communities.
• Involving men in the conversation about caregiving is crucial, as they control many of the structures that shape care policies.
• Approach conversations about care with empathy, and encourage curiosity from all stakeholders.
• Never make assumptions about caregiving needs—ask questions and listen.
• Parenting often leads to unexpected opportunities to advocate for better care policies.

Keywords: working mothers, caregiver support, workplace policies, paid leave, caregiving advocacy, men and caregiving, unpaid work, care redistribution, caregiving challenges, caregap, daycare, childcare, equitable care policies.

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