Gone is the traditional chlap (macho man) who never changed a diaper. The new 35-year-old father is active on the parent WhatsApp group. He takes otcovská dovolená (paternal leave)—a right that was rarely used a decade ago but is now trending among Millennials.
They are university-educated professionals who spent their 20s traveling, building careers in IT, finance, or the creative sector in cities like Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. They lived the "gig economy" life. Now, at 35, they are not looking to "settle down" in the classic sense. Instead, they are looking to elevate their existing partnership. Take Katerina and David, both 36. They have been together for 12 years but married only two years ago. "We did everything backwards," Katerina laughs. "We bought a house in the suburbs at 32, got a dog at 34, married at 35, and we are only now trying for a baby." czech couples 35 new
So, who is the demographic?
Unlike the 1990s, where having a child was seen as a natural next step after marriage, the new 35-year-old couples view parenthood as an investment that requires a war chest of savings. Gone is the traditional chlap (macho man) who