His wife, he said, appreciated the post.
\"We've talked about many of these points with friends over the past few years, so I think she appreciated me sharing them in writing,\" he said.
Thousands of people have reached out to him about the post, Gonder told \"GMA.\"
\"Encouragingly, the most common comments have come from women tagging their male partners thanking them for being 'their rock.' I think this says something about a growing group of men today who have the courage and strength to think beyond their traditional male role toward how they can be a true 'family co-founder' with their wife,\" he said.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Ted Gonder (@tedgonder) on Sep 1, 2019 at 12:29pm PDT
But there was a darker side to the comments too.
\"I think a lot of people also shared the post because they're outraged that so many women go through pregnancy, birth, and recovery totally alone when their male partners could be doing more,\" Gonder said. \"Many reflected on how a lack of supportive partner during this crucial phase planted seeds of resentment that ruined their relationship and family later.\"
While he wouldn't change anything about the post, Gonder has had some further thoughts he would add:
\"Initiate the conversation early about household roles -- breadwinner or homemaker or both,\" he said. \"Take the pressure off your wife to explore what role each of you wants to play as you become parents. Relieve the topic's tension so it doesn't explode on you later. Push each other to think about a family vision, considering both of your desires equally, then work backward from that shared vision to plan how you'll manifest that reality together.\"
And finally, the 29-year-old dad said: \"Don’t listen to people who say you’re ruining your life by having kids young.\"
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