Quick Win: How to talk openly with your partner about guilt, with Atlassian's Dom Price
whatshot 9 snips
Mar 31, 2025
Dom Price shares a pivotal lesson about communication in parenting, revealing the importance of discussing feelings of guilt with partners. He recounts how a friend's misguided advice impacted his early experiences as a father on work trips. Instead of hiding his enjoyment, he learned that sharing those moments can strengthen their bond. The conversation also touches on preparing meals ahead of trips, highlighting how planning can alleviate guilt and enhance connection with loved ones.
06:47
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Dad Guilt
Dom felt guilty for enjoying work while his partner was home with twins.
He realized his "dad guilt" stemmed from not being able to help if needed.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Open Communication and Planning
Communicate openly with your partner about feelings of guilt, especially when balancing work and family.
Give your partner ample notice for work trips to allow for planning and adjustment.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Bad Advice and Honesty
Dom received bad advice to downplay work trip enjoyment, but his partner encouraged honesty.
Openness and honesty are crucial for a healthy relationship.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Dom Price was given some pretty bad advice right before he became a father. A well-intentioned friend told him never to share pictures of his overseas work trips with his partner, because it might make her jealous…
On his first few long-distance work trips after becoming a dad, Dom didn’t want to tell his partner that he was having a good time in case it made her time home alone with their twins feel even more challenging by comparison. But Dom quickly discovered the opposite was true.
Of course, his partner wanted him to have a good time, and she reminded him that if he had to leave them for a week anyway, it would only be truly worthwhile if he got everything possible out of his trip. She also reminded him that leaving the family intermittently for work was actually part of his role as a father, especially as the only breadwinner at the time.
Since then, Dom and his partner have been hyper-conscious of their communication, and pay particular attention to when and why they’re feeling guilty as parents and partners.
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe
How I Work