Seth Robbins

• 

• 

• 

Stacey Robbins

• 

• 

• 

Matthew Robbins

• 

• 

• 

My mother and father were both born in New York and raised in lower-middle-class households with their siblings and married parents. They both witnessed gendered division of labor, with mothers who took on much of the housework and fathers who based their identity in their role in the workplace. Generational family trauma on both sides resulted in contact solely with immediate family members, including parents and siblings. Their early lives were shaped by their parents’ paramedic parenting styles that valued autonomy and accountability. My mother mentioned that she was expected to cover most of her expenses by the time she reached college, with some financial support in her schooling. She also took pride in her ability to handle the college admissions process on her own. She told a story of how she got off of the waitlist at her desired college by calling the admissions staff immediately and reciting the reasons she should be accepted. My father talked about many challenges he faced on his own during college, especially when choosing a career path. Yet, they both attributed their later occupational success to the high levels of self-sufficiency and work ethic that resulted from such parenting

My brother was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in a middle-upper-class environment with his sister and separated parents. He witnessed gendered division of labor, with a mother who took on much of the housework and childcare and a father who worked long hours as a partner at a hedge fund. Due to generational circumstances, he grew up knowing only his immediate family members. For more about his environment growing up, see ‘Parental Investment’ and ‘Separation’ pages.