By Christina Hyslop
WHEN MY husband returned to work just two weeks after the birth of our son Rupert, and only four weeks after moving – far from the support of loved ones – to Shropshire, it really hit home how important it was to make the most of family life.
Consequently, we were determined to do things differently when our second child, Florence, arrived. With just under two years between siblings, I knew that shared parental leave would also give our eldest time with both of us, helping him adjust to life as a big brother.
It wasn’t just about time away from work, but about sharing the load, the joy and the challenges of early parenthood while balancing Army life. For us it meant bonding as a family of four and not missing those small but unforgettable moments.
Between our son and daughter, I worked as a tutor and supply teacher. I enjoyed the flexibility but felt restless and wanted to try something new. I had hoped to grow my tutoring business but soon found myself veering in a different direction. Despite being busy, my husband and I took long walks that gave us space to talk and reflect.
One day, we discussed the growing use of artificial intelligence in business. Some education companies had created basic lesson planners, but none I would personally use. I imagined a tool that could save time, deliver quality and truly support teacher wellbeing. From there my idea grew – I wanted to help primary teachers, home educators and remote tutors. Most importantly, I wanted planning to be more inclusive for children with special educational needs. My concept of an AI lesson planner (ailessonplanner.co.uk) began to take shape.
Florence was only three weeks old when we started building the business. Armed with a product design degree, my husband Jonny created the website while I developed content and marketing materials. We went on to add tools including a scheme of work builder and an intuitive duty planner for busy leaders. Within the space of just three months, we launched. Much of the work was done during nap times, with one of us caring for Rupert. It was hard but we still made time for walks and toddler groups.
Shared parental leave gave us more than time at home – it gave us balance, resilience and the chance to build something new. What began as a family conversation is now supporting teachers across the UK.