On Maternity Leave and Architecture
One of my favourite co-workers is currently on maternity leave. Sam is one of those people who makes people feel immediately comfortable, who is thoughtful and calm, incredibly smart and always professional. AND during the year and a half that she’s been on maternity leave, her peers have been rolling along with their careers - getting new experiences, promotions and raises. I remember this happening to me. I remember talking to employers prior to my return and feeling so sad. Sad that I had been left behind professionally, that I had not furthered my experience, that I wasn’t a big enough person to stay home and be a full-time mom, and that my wages were stagnant.
If only I had known. If only someone had pointed out to me just how much I had learned in that year away. This invaluable, critical information, that could never be learned in an office, has shaped who I am as an architect and the lens through which I see every design. Now I understand that my wages deserved to go up commensurate with every other person’s during that period. Every time I banged my million-pound stroller up a set of stairs, or changed my baby on the floor of a washroom, or sat on a park bench breastfeeding a new baby while trying in vain to see my toddler running off into traffic, I was scheming about how the profession had to do better. I was dreaming up new designs. I was becoming a better architect.
No one is going to argue about the value of a mom or dad taking time off to care for their children. We know this. As moms, as women, we are made acutely aware that one of our highest callings SHOULD BE to care for our children. Some of us are not cut out for full-time mom duties, and of course, some of us can’t afford to take care of our children full-time. I really, really don’t want to hear any more men praising women for the sacrifice they’ve made by heeding the higher-calling of caring for her children. I want all of us to be asking these moms (and dads) about what makes a space work for them. I want us to be watching and learning from how they are moving about in the world.
I know that when Sam comes back to work, she’s going to be able to inform our FLUID software team about what aspects of parks work for new moms to meet people, and which ones made her feel more isolated and alone. I also have a pretty good feeling that she’s going to have some strong and valuable opinions about the designs of our family housing projects - how the sightlines work, where the strollers get stored, how to keep medications safe, and so, so much more.
Designing cities and buildings that help everyone feel like they belong starts here - with a reminder that maternity leave counts, and that life as a mom is professional experience.
If you are interested in reading more, here is a great article that touches on some of the sentiments mentioned here: The Pram in the Hallway: Why Motherhood Doesn't Have to Spell Creative Death
Travelling with four little ones; the ferry situation is horrid when you’re by yourself with the kids, and one of them needs a diaper change.
Cities are doing really great with bike lanes for adults. But a painted line will not separate your 5-year-old from the cars. Oran in this picture is riding on his own so he had to ride on the sidewalk beside me.
