As working women we have been short-changed. It’s not our problem alone to fix | Eleni Roussos

Women are expected to happily toil away at home and in the office, only to see their salary eaten up by childcare and tax

During a recent dash into my local chemist to buy infant formula, I came face to face with a cashier at the register who wanted to know why I wasn’t breastfeeding my baby. With my daughter on my hip and exhausted from a rough night, I was unprepared to handle what felt like an interrogation and hurried out as quickly as I could.

“Is she sleeping through?” and “how long have you got off?” are regular questions I get asked when I’m out with my six-month old. It’s what I call “baby small talk” and it requires a certain level of energy and tolerance, particularly when you’re a sleep-deprived TV news anchor living in a small town where you really can’t hide. Now on maternity leave with my third child, I’ve become better at navigating these conversations without shame or guilt. But the all too common “how do you do it?” still remains the hardest question to answer.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2HlkyAp
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