IP Inclusive’s sixth community, the IP Non-traditional Family Network, was established this April. The network has its own blogsite (here) where members will be sharing their thoughts and ideas about being in a solo parent, blended or other “non-traditional” family, as well as about being an ally to people in that position. The first post on the blogsite is by the network’s founder and co-lead Sarah Phillips, a patent attorney at Abel + Imray and proud solo parent. She’s kindly shared it with us below.
You can find out more about the new network here, or through their LinkedIn group here.
(And by the way, the elephant picture? – Apparently baby elephants are looked after primarily by their grandmothers. Parenting takes many forms; what matters most is love and commitment.)
Sarah writes:
Hello and welcome!
I’m delighted to introduce the IP Non-traditional Family Network as a new IP Inclusive community.
Growing up in a solo parent family as one of six children, I never expected that I would be a solo parent myself – but here I am! There are no limits to what solo parent families/blended families can achieve – my siblings and I went from free school meals on income support to professional careers in accountancy, law, medicine and engineering (kudos to my mum). However, it’s a different journey, and the emotional and practical realities are often misunderstood.
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