Raising kids and doing science

Posted by Penny Maher

3 March 2025

In February 2025, our theme was “Raising Kids and Doing Science.” We hosted a safe space for both parents and non-parents to discuss the challenges of balancing work and caring commitments. We also had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Sharon Strawbridge, a mother of six and an academic in the Physics department at the University of Exeter. Sharon shared her struggles and advice on managing a demanding role in academia while raising children.

Key takeaways from her discussion include the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work and home life and trying to keep the two as separate as possible. She emphasized that achieving a perfect balance is unrealistic and that it’s crucial to be honest about what you can manage. Communicating your needs with your manager and your children’s schools is essential, even though support from management isn’t guaranteed. Open communication is key.

The discussion also covered the challenges of returning to work after long periods of leave, such as maternity or paternity leave. Many parents feel “rusty and empty” as they relearn their roles. Sharon’s advice was to be patient with yourself during this transition. Alongside the challenges of returning to work after parental leave, we also discussed the difficulties of balancing school holidays and annual leave. Various strategies were shared, including utilising clubs, sharing childcare responsibilities with other parents, and staggering annual leave with your partner. Each method has its pros and cons, but finding what works best for your family is key.

Future discussions and Resources

During the discussions, another topic that was raised was the struggles with training courses and conferences that don’t accommodate childcare responsibilities. There are some resources out there that may be able to help with this, including support from the University, which can sometimes cover childcare costs for conference attendees. You can find more information on the University of Exeter’s Childcare Costs Policy here. If you are not part of Exeter University, it is worth discussing with your manager and HR to see what support is out there.