Vier Tage allein mit den Kindern

My partner left for a 4-day yoga retreat, and I was alone with both kids for the first time since our daughter was born. My instinct was to solve it like a problem. I had no idea what I was walking into.

Since she was born, our daughter has only ever fallen asleep beside her mom.

So I did the only thing I could think of:

I packed our days with so much activity that they'd be too exhausted to fight it and fall asleep on their own.

The first night was tough, but after that, it got easier.

By the end, I wasn't even tired. It gave me energy, and it was a lot of fun.

I realized once again how massively underestimated care work is.

The energy it takes to do it 24/7, especially when you're the main caregiver.

Four days gave me a glimpse. She does this every day.

We defined our setup before we even had kids:

Monday to Thursday, I'm building Gopf while she's with the kids. Fridays I've got the kids, and weekends are for the family, with no work.

What people see on LinkedIn is me trying to build something. That's true.

But there's a whole engine behind it that makes the building possible, and the biggest part of that engine is her.

What those four days gave me was gratitude.

For the setup we chose, because it actually works, and for the person who makes it work every single day.

Ups and downs and all, the four of us are happy with what we've built.

And I know I couldn't do any of it without her.