All parents, especially post-divorce single parents, are constantly learning new ways to approach parenting that will best serve their dual role as caregiver and budget earner.   It often takes flexibility, the ability to change and a vision of a better future. Sometimes it takes ingenuity, bravado and a sense of humor. Today, we salute two different parents, who have done something out of the ordinary in their very different worlds. They present great role models that can inspire us to be better parents. 

Tom Douglas: Chef Extraordinaire  

Chef Douglas owns and operates 16 restaurants in the Seattle area (Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Lola, Serious Pie, Serious Pie and Biscuit, Dahlia Bakery, Dahlia Lounge, Brave Horse Tavern, Cuoco, Seatown,  TanakaSan, Carlile Room, Assembly Hall Café, Catina Lina, Home Remedy, Rub with Love Shack) along with a cooking school, an event venue and a produce farm.  

Even though Chef Douglas’s success could have easily been spread across the country, he and his business partner (his wife, Jackie Cross) chose to keep all of their restaurants close enough to home to allow them be actively involved during their child’s upbringing. 

Prior to the minimum wage law change in 2016, Chef Douglas was one of the first restaurateurs in the area to eliminate tipping in his full service restaurants, and by adding a set 20% service charge to be shared by all staff to create an equitable pay policy.  

Chef Douglas and his team is also committed to giving back to the communities where they live and work, as a core value in his company. He maintains a program of philanthropy that donates to area non-profits and is honored to be a part of the amazing things being done by so many organizations surrounding his restaurants.

Chef Douglas’s commitment to his family and his community is truly inspirational. 

Dr. Kate Cook

Dr. Kate Cook, a pediatric physician at Norman Regional Healthplex in Norman, Oklahoma choose an unusual but admirable path to accomplish her goal of spreading the gospel about kid’s car safety.  Watch this video to see how she choose to send a message with a great sense of humor and a lot of creativity. 

Dr. Cook had planned on becoming an ophthalmologist, “but children and the people who devote their lives to caring for them won my heart.  I have the privilege to support families during their most stressful times. I share the perspective of being a parent of a critically ill child and can use my experiences to help families navigate through their child’s illness.”

The video highlights recent car seat recommendations for infants and young children from the American Academy of Pediatrics which encourages the use of rear facing car safety seats as long as possible, and forward facing seats until children weigh more than 65 pounds. 

Both Dr. Cook and Chef Douglas have made successful career choices with the goal of making their own parenting a priority, and improving the lives of people in their communities.  Keep these role models in mind when your child expresses a desire to be the next Top Chef, or the next popular rap singer- you can suggest becoming an entrepreneur who gives back to their community or how about becoming a doctor who creates informative rap videos to help save kid’s lives! 

The family law lawyers at Molly B. Kenny, LLC, are devoted parents, whose life experiences help their clients navigate changes in their family and professional lives.  

 
Molly B. Kenny
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Divorce and Child Custody Attorney Serving Bellevue and Seattle Washington
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