Sara Duncan, a teacher from Fredericktown, Missouri, recently shared a photo on Facebook that has sparked an important conversation about equal parenting. The photo depicts her husband, Joe Duncan, sleeping on the hard floor of an emergency room after a long day at work, while she stays awake holding their sleeping baby.
Sara expressed her desire to draw attention to the realities of parenting, highlighting that it isn’t always a 50/50 split. She explains that on some days it might be a 60/40, 70/30 or even an 80/20 split, but the important thing is that both partners are willing to pull their weight and help each other out when necessary. This is what love, marriage, and parenting is all about.
In the photo, Joe is seen using the car seat as a pillow to sneak in a snooze while they waited for their daughter to be evaluated at the hospital. Speaking about the photo, Sara explains that she wanted to capture the moment to express her gratitude towards her husband and his unwavering dedication towards their family.
She says that Joe, who works as a cement technician, had just finished a 12-hour shift that night on March 23, 2021, but despite this, he insisted on accompanying her and their daughter to the hospital.
A photo of a dad sleeping on a hospital floor after working a 12-hour shift went viral with the post being shared over 32,000 times. It also sparked a conversation about equal parenting after the image was posted on Facebook.https://t.co/cE1FimI62w
— The Independent (@Independent) April 15, 2021
Sara also notes that although she has a supportive and helpful husband, she still finds parenting to be challenging and exhausting. She acknowledges that she can’t imagine doing it without him, and recognizes the hard work and strength of single mothers who do it all on their own.
The post has since been shared over 38k times on Facebook, igniting conversations about the importance of couples equally sharing the parenting load. Reproductive psychiatrist Dr.
Alexandra Sacks emphasizes the need for couples to discuss their expectations and responsibilities before entering parenthood and to regularly touch base to examine how the division of labor is working out for each partner.