The Future of Parenting
Loes Waanders is an educational psychologist, an authority in the field of working parenthood, and an author. With her Parent First approach, she demonstrates that better support for working parents prevents stress and burnout while saving significant costs, leading to a better flow of women into (top) positions.
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Loes Waanders is an educational psychologist (MSc) and founder of the Parent First academy. She has over 15 years of experience in guiding families and as a speaker within companies and at events. Additionally, she lived with her own family in Sweden for 3.5 years and witnessed firsthand how good family support radically improves the well-being of parents and children. This experience formed the basis for her practical, scientifically grounded Parent First approach, which helps companies turn family-friendly employment into a distinctive advantage.
Organizations that truly see and support parents win on all fronts: they attract experienced top talent more quickly, achieve significant cost savings, and lay the foundation for a healthy, inclusive, and future-proof work culture.
Over 30% of working parents experience chronic stress due to the combination of work and family. A burnout costs an employer an average of 60,000 euros per employee. Despite many working parents struggling with the work-family balance, research shows that the vast majority do not openly discuss this, leading to ‘silent turnover’ and long-term absenteeism, with significant consequences for the organization.
Companies therefore engage Loes to prevent this pitfall and its consequences – stress, absenteeism, and turnover among working parents – while simultaneously increasing engagement, productivity, and retention.
Investing in the mental well-being of this group is not only cost-effective but also positions organizations as family-friendly and future-oriented employers.
Loes works with both management and working parents. She provides leaders with best practices from home and abroad, supports them with valuable data, concrete tools, and insights on the right moment and the best way to support parents. At the same time, she helps parents with practical workshops to better combine work and family. This combined approach leads to lasting cultural change within organizations.
What makes Loes unique is that she combines her scientific background with her years of experience as an educational psychologist working with families and as a speaker at numerous companies and events. Through countless practical examples, her inspiring keynotes and training sessions always seamlessly connect with diverse audiences.
Her strong communication skills, genuine interest, and infectious enthusiasm ensure that she makes complex topics understandable and practically applicable, inspiring not only motivation but also real action!
What makes parenting today different from 50 years ago? What challenges do parents face when combining work and family? Why is this often invisible to employers and management? This workshop provides insight into the unique stress factors, needs, and expectations of the current generation of working parents.
When and how do you, as a leader, truly check in with parents in the workplace? What questions ensure that employees feel understood and supported, even before burnout occurs? Practical communication tips and conversation techniques that help managers support this vulnerable group early on.
What obstacles do women face on their career path after having children? What best practices do we see nationally and internationally, and how do you translate these within your workplace? This session offers tools to promote progression to (top) positions and sustainably retain talent.
What are the biggest challenges for working parents? What is needed to combine work and family without compromising your mental health? And what skills and practical strategies can employees apply to gain control over their dual role?
Instead of quick parenting tips, Loes advocates for a different approach: start with the parent. What you model as a parent ultimately determines your child’s behaviour. In this talk, I share insights from psychology and neuroscience, combined with practical tools from my own Parent First method. With inspiring examples, Loes shows how more self-awareness leads to less stress, more connection, and a more sustainable way of parenting – both at home and at work.
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