Molly and Taylor Haylett, a couple from Essex, discovered that starting a family had unexpected financial consequences. "Our first child surprised us, so we weren't prepared for it," says Molly, 30, a financial adviser. As a train driver, Taylor earned a similar income to Molly, but when Molly took time off work to care for their baby, the financial balance shifted. "Taylor's career continued to grow, while mine took a step back," she explains. "There's an unintended impact on the person who spends more time at home with the kids." To address this, the couple decided that Taylor would contribute to Molly's pension while she was off work. "We were looking after both our futures, not just Taylor's," Molly says. She believes more couples should consider such planning before having children. She recently encouraged a friend, who was also planning to stop working after having a child, to ask her partner to help. "People think only about the present and paying the bills, but the person taking time off could end up with much less in the future." Taylor, 33, admits he hadn't considered this before but supported Molly's idea. "We committed to a life together, and if I could help out, I would," he says. He notes that Molly is more organized with finances, but he wants to be involved. "I don't just give her money and let her do what she wants. We have open conversations and she'll talk me through it." Research by Octopus Money found that more than a third of parents reduced or paused pension contributions during parental leave, while 63% didn't know their partner could contribute on their behalf. A partner can make what is known as a third-party pension contribution. For someone with no or low earnings, up to £2,880 can be paid in each tax year, with tax relief increasing that to £3,600. For someone still earning, their partner can also contribute, subject to the recipient's pension limits. Katie Guild, co-founder of financial community Nugget Savings, says the pension gap can start during maternity leave because an employee's own contributions can fall as their pay drops, and contributions may stop altogether during unpaid leave. She recommends that couples consider whether the partner continuing to work could help make up that shortfall. She suggests discussing financial planning before having a baby, as these conversations are easier when parents are not sleep-deprived and adjusting to life with a newborn. Molly and Taylor now have two children, aged two and five, and were much more prepared the second time around. They no longer view household costs as something that needs to be divided exactly in half. The couple, who each earn around £60,000, maintain their own bank accounts and a joint account for bills, but are flexible with contributions based on their circumstances. During Molly's maternity leave, for example, they adjusted the financial split. She finds it helpful to "view finances as a household." The couple are teaching their children about money from an early age. They set up pensions for both kids when they were born and contribute monthly through direct debit. Molly explains: "It's like a gift for the future as they can't touch that money until they're in their 60s and we won't be there to see that." They also use Junior ISAs, although Molly points out that once the children are old enough, the money becomes theirs to spend "and if they want to, they can take that money and blow it in Ibiza." Taylor says their five-year-old is given small jobs to earn a couple of pounds, rather than simply being bought everything she asks for. They are also beginning to introduce the idea of saving by telling her that she can spend a pound now or hold on to it and potentially have more later. Guild suggests couples should check what support they can receive, including funded childcare hours and Tax-Free Childcare, and continue having money conversations once parental leave begins.