The article, based on 43 narratives of Swedish physicians and molecular biologists on temporary work abroad, discusses how these professionals articulate and negotiate ideals of “Swedish” family life, dual careers, equal gender contract and a respectful parenthood, and how they motivate and legitimize exceptions from those ideals. A proper family timing was regarded as a crucial factor for making international work mobility possible, as family life was pictured as basically sedentary, creating a kind of inertia and requiring a lot of considerations, negotiations and logistics. However, international mobility was also considered to be beneficial for the family; e.g. a great opportunity to learn about new cultural and social contexts – even if it required to put the equal gender contract and “family democracy” temporarily on hold. The suspension of the - otherwise cherished - ideals and considerations for reasons of mobility was legitimized as a necessary prerequisite of the professional’s work or grounded on the new country’s characteristics; it was regarded as a parenthetic, and thus more acceptable, exception.