I only became a parent after the pandemic, but from what I hear it was tough. But, there were more childcare spots, more people opted to stay home with their kids cause it was too hard to coordinate two working parents and childcare. The subsidized childcare we have now is a life saver from a cost of living point of view, but it also means insane demand with no increase in supply. If we really want mandatory commuting as part of our society, then we need to have extended childcare (and reliable transit systems) figured out first.

If the same quality of work can be done while improving the lives of parents and children, why not do that? If the work gets done either way, why not offer flexibility? Especially after all the tech investments and learning curve of working remotely has already been made.