Hi, this is me
Documenting our parenting adventures
Hey there! Welcome to our Salgado Muthukrishna Family Substack, where parenting meets science and research from cultures around the world.
I’m Steph—a mum of three (aged 9, 7, and 3) and wife to Michael Muthukrishna, a professor at the London School of Economics (LSE), who writes over at lab.muthukrishna.com. We’ve travelled all over the globe, raising our kids while navigating the twists and turns of life, and I’ve been told for years that I should write down our experiences of what worked, what didn’t, and why we did it. Well, here I am, finally gathering the courage to do just that. Right now, I’m writing from Berlin, where we’re spending the summer while Michael works on some research collaborations. I thought, why not give this a go?
So, what makes this parenting blog different from the millions out there? Honestly, I’m not claiming to be an expert. I don’t stick to a rigid parenting style or follow any particular philosophy to the letter. But what I do tend to do, whether it’s by nature, my previous jobs in HR and management, or by the influence of having a scientist for a husband, is make sure that whatever choices I make as a parent have some evidence to back them up. It could be a study, it could be a cultural practice that seems to work, it could be an application of theories of cultural transmission, or it could just be our best guess at what’s likely to work.
Our journey as a family has been anything but ordinary. Both Michael and I grew up in multiple countries. Our family unit started in Canada, where our eldest was born. We then spent a stint in the US, and now we’re calling the UK home. At least for now. Along the way, we’ve navigated regular schooling, homeschooling, online schooling, and flexi-schooling. We’ve built communities each time we’ve moved, made new friends, and embraced the challenges of parenting without nearby family support.
In 2022/23, we embarked on an incredible adventure—traveling across 5 continents and 12 countries with an 8, 6, and 2 year old in tow during Michael’s sabbatical. After being stuck at home for two years, the traveler and adventurer in me was itching to get out, so when Michael was deciding what to do for his sabbatical, I suggested (yes, it was my idea!) that we embark on an adventure and explore different places. There were definitely moments when I questioned my choices, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat! It was amazing to see the kids thrive, embracing every adventure and challenge that came their way. They gained so much from the experience, and watching them grow through it all was truly rewarding. We also had the opportunity to see how children are raised around the world from Australia to Japan to being the first visitors for a newborn to a nomad family in the Sahara.
I’m all about raising kids who are global citizens, and we aim to instill our passion for exploration in them without compromising their education. Sometimes that meant Zoom piano lessons on a portable keyboard perched on a suitcase in a carpark or catching up on online classes after some real-life free-range parenting in a remote Namibian village. With each new place, we’ve all learned about different cultures and their parenting styles.
But first, let me share a bit about who I am. I spent my early years in Sri Lanka, splitting my time between parents and grandparents after my parents divorced when I was young. At 10, I moved to Australia—talk about culture shock! I was a shy kid and had missed school here and there due to the civil war in Sri Lanka, but I managed to catch up and eventually figured things out. Along the way, I worked a bunch of different jobs—starting when I was 15. I met Michael at 19, and we got married at 24. We moved to Canada, where our eldest was born, and that’s when our adventures as a family began!
This space is where I’ll be sharing the insights we’ve gathered along the way—about life, parenting, and everything in between. It’s not just about tips or advice, but about blending our global experiences with the latest scientific research to offer practical, evidence-based strategies and personal stories. But ultimately, it’s also about realizing that as parents and families, you need to make the choices that best suit your style. My goal is to connect with parents who are trying to raise well-rounded, resilient kids in an ever-changing world. But if no one reads this substack, at least my kids will have some evidence of how we tried to raise them and why they turned out the way they did :).
I’m excited to have you join me on this journey as we explore the intersection of science, culture, and parenting, making informed decisions to nurture the next generation.