I want to raise children who will change the world.
Not by making millions or inventing something ground-breaking, but by shaping the world through their relationships - the way they listen, the way they care, the way they show up for others.
A few years ago, my daughter, Viola, walked into my room and picked up a book from my bedside table. It was A Promised Land by Barack Obama. She looked at the cover for a moment, then turned to me and said, “Oh, is he Michelle Obama’s husband?” And I laughed - because in her world, Michelle Obama wasn’t just someone’s wife. She was the role model. The powerhouse. The leader.
And in that moment, I thought - this is what change looks like.
Not because she didn’t know who Barack Obama was, but because she assumed his identity was defined in relation to hers - not the other way around. It was a reminder that the way we talk about people, the stories we share, the examples we highlight - all of it shapes how our kids see the world. For Viola, that shift is already happening. She sees women as leaders, as equals, as the ones setting the standard - not waiting for a seat at the table. And that’s powerful.
But then I thought - what about Leo?
If I want my daughter to expect equality, I need to make sure my son is being raised to respect and reinforce it. If I want my daughter to never doubt her worth, I need to make sure my son never questions it either. And that means thinking differently about what we teach boys about fairness, leadership, and what it really means to be strong. That equality isn’t about making space for women - it’s about recognising that space was never theirs to control in the first place.
Not long ago, Leo was struggling with something at school. He and his best friend were sharing an instrument, but only one of them would get to perform at the Easter concert. He was upset. He wanted it to be him. My instinct as a parent was to fix it. To step in, to talk to his teacher, to make it fair. But instead, I asked him, “What do you think you could do?” So he thought. And then he suggested talking to his friend, understanding that one of them would be disappointed, but that it didn’t have to mean hurting their friendship.
That was a moment of growth. Of emotional intelligence. Because this is what I want him to understand: Life isn’t just about winning. It’s about how we treat the people around us. I want him to know that his success should never come at the expense of someone else’s dignity.
And this is where fathers play such a huge role: kids don’t just listen to what we say - they watch what we do. When your son sees you listening to your partner, treating women with respect, and valuing their voices, that becomes his normal. When he sees you talk openly about emotions, admit mistakes, and handle conflict with care, that becomes his version of strength. When he sees you treat kindness as a strength - not as something soft or weak - that’s what he’ll believe too.
The way we raise our sons shapes the world our daughters will live in. The stories we tell them, the behaviours we model, the lessons we repeat - all of it matters.
If we want to raise daughters who stand confidently in their power, we need to raise sons who expect nothing less from them.
If we want to build a world where respect and equality aren’t things we fight for - but things that simply are - it starts in our own homes.
And the best part? It doesn’t take a grand speech or a big moment. It happens in small, everyday choices.
Let’s raise them to make the world better - together.
