Being able to talk about the pressures and joys of parenthood is vital for colleagues’ wellbeing, says customer service host Liam Nixon

It’s just under a year since Liam Nixon became a dad for the first time.

His daughter Jennifer was born in April 2022, and while he is now used to disturbed nights and dirty nappies, combining a busy job with the responsibilities of parenthood is, he says, a challenge you can never really prepare for.

“When your baby arrives it’s an amazing moment but then reality hits,” says Liam, a customer service host at Hatch End.

“My partner, Annabel, had to show me how to change a nappy as I didn’t have a clue, but then it becomes your new reality.

Liam had combined two weeks’ parental leave with a fortnight’s holiday to give himself valuable time to support his new family.

Annabel, a schoolteacher, returned to work after 11 weeks, with family members able to step in to provide childcare. With his shift patterns planned months in advance, Liam says this means he and Annabel are able to coordinate and share parenting responsibilities.

Returning to work brought its own challenges though.
“Staying awake was difficult and fatigue in those early days was an issue,” says Liam. “Now she’s moving around, that requires even more concentration!

“My team have been very supportive. I still feel there are assumptions in society that as a parent, especially a new dad, you’ll know what to do and automatically cope. That’s wrong.”

Having a forum at work, where parents can get practical information and talk openly about their worries, is the aim of a new parent and carers’ network being set up at Arriva Rail London.

The group was the idea of customer experience improvement manager Halima Miah, who had also experienced anxieties about returning to work after maternity leave.

“There’s no textbook about it and everybody’s experience is different,” she says. “I don’t know how much I actually understood of what I needed to do or how the policies and processes worked within the business. Especially as a first-time parent, it can be a lonely feeling.”

The network is open to anyone and aims to address the issues Liam and Halima mention, and many more, including topics such as post-natal depression and baby loss. They are exploring the possibility of a dedicated information hub, a parents’ buddy system and developing new guidance for managers.

Liam adds: “The forum enables dads to talk about how they are feeling. I know that’s something I’ve found valuable – talking to colleagues who have their own kids and who have been through it. This support group can tap into all of that.”

Of course, while the experience may be life-changing, Liam says the joys of being a dad outweigh the challenges.

“It gives you a different outlook on life. I find I manage time better. And at home, catching those little moments – first laughs and words – are amazing and make you incredibly proud.”