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Practical Parenting | Parenting in the 90s | News & Alerts
Pediatrics | Family Matters | Mothering

The Blair Baby Project: First Family Breaks Tradition

by Lori A. Cascone

A major news story this week was the birth of the British prime minister's son Leo. Not only is the event extraordinary because Leo Blair is the first baby born to a sitting prime minister in 150 years, but also because the factors surrounding Leo's birth portray the first family as an icon of modernism.

Perhaps the most pronounced factor is that Tony Blair is the first British prime minister to take paternity leave. For the United Kingdom, this is a significant step in a direction it's not used to following: leaving tradition behind to act on a new federal policy that allows new dads to take up to 13 weeks' leave from their jobs.

To Be or Not to Be
The decision wasn't easy. According to an article in the Guardian Unlimited, both politically and personally, Blair faced opposition whether he stayed home or continued to work.

If he decided not to take time off, the world would probably conclude that Blair didn't trust his fellow cabinet members to run the country in his absence. On the other hand, says the article, if Blair took paternity leave, it would be at a crucial time when London was just empowering a new mayor.

On a more personal front, in March, Blair's wife Cherie told fellow lawyers she expected her husband to follow the lead of the prime minister of Finland, who has taken paternity leave twice. And a few days before she gave birth, a National Public Radio report said Cherie went to the High Court and publicly urged her husband to take time off after the new baby arrived.

Modern Mum
In addition to Blair's much-anticipated decision to take time off the week after his son was born, the fact that Cherie had a baby at age 45 put her in the modern-day "career mom" bracket. A BBC News report said the average age at which women in Britain give birth topped 30 for the first time in the fall of 1999. Social scientists rationalized this trend with the growing need for women to embark on a career before starting a family, the report says.

No Stone Left Unturned
The first lady clearly exemplifies the modern-day woman who "does it all." Cherie leads a harried life not only as a mother of four, but also as a prominent lawyer, part-time judge, and active supporter of various charities.

Perhaps supporting his busy wife is one of the key reasons Blair is considered a "modern guy," as described in The New York Times Magazine on May 14. In the Times article, "Tony Blair's Modernizing Ways," Blair describes Cherie as "... fantastic to me, and I wouldn't be in the position I am in without her. She's an enormous source of strength and an extraordinary person in her own right."

But Blair is pretty extraordinary himself, starting with his initial days as prime minister, when he established an untraditional routine of working habits that allotted him time for his family, including state lunches instead of state dinners. And, the Times article says, Blair claims his government will always take actions mindful of their effects on family stability.

True to his word, Blair took action by putting his family first. Making that call, for both Blairs, is what puts them in the spotlight for practicing the ultimate in modern decision-making.