ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A high-flying corporate mum is refreshing her inbox this morning, eagerly awaiting today’s StoryPark update.
For those unfamiliar, StoryPark is an app that childcare centres use to share photos of their children during the day, essentially an Instagram for parents that delivers both joy and judgment in equal measure.
But for French Quarter local and family breadwinner, Ronnie Poole, the app serves another purpose.
Gauging what hideous outfit her part-time-artist husband, Jason, has dressed their daughter in this morning.
“I’m out the door before they wake up most days, so I’m not there to see what outfit our daughter ends up in,” she said.
“Jason just reaches into the laundry basket and grabs whatever’s on top,” Ronnie laughed, showing colleagues a photo from last week’s StoryPark upload, where Alba was rocking a lime green singlet, purple leggings, and a pair of Crocs. Topped off with a crocheted beanie, in January, in the Queensland Channel Country.
Ronnie, a senior financial analyst for Rothschild & Co Betoota, admits that while Jason’s outfit choices often make her wince, they’ve also become the highlight of her day.
“Yesterday it was a tie-dye romper, leggings and gumboots with no socks. I told him the childcare educators are going to think Alba is raised by blind people,” she said, half-serious.
“He just shrugs and says it’s creative expression.”
As Emma works through spreadsheets and strategy calls, Jason spends his mornings painting in the backyard, smoking cannabis, or tinkering with sculptures in the garage, occasionally pausing to style their daughter.
“I married a proper propellor hat wearer, this is what I signed up for,” Ronnie said.
While some corporate parents may complain about the pressures of balancing work and family life, Emma says StoryPark has given her the perfect lunchtime distraction.
“Sure, the outfits are terrible, but at least they make me laugh. And honestly, I’ll take bad fashion over another daycare incident report.”
More to come.
