This week @ The Punch

Yesterday’s piece by Sarah Le Marquand on working mums stirred a pretty passionate debate and it was great to hear so many men sharing their perspective on the issue.  We thought Ian’s comment was worth a second mention:

At present I have an 11 year old spending the day in my office, 19 days a go I had a 4 year old do the same thing.  Why at the office - because they are sufficiently unwell not to go to school / preschool but not so unwell that they need to spend the day in bed.  In the previous 6 weeks I had days off with each spent at home.  I am the higher income earner (significantly) however my wife’s career is of equal value to the family unit.  How do we decide who the designated carer is in such circumstances - on the basis of who is the least inconvenienced on the day.  It’s not that hard and balances out over the longer term.I do the before and after school pickups and drop offs because I can.  I was able to negotiate a later start time and I’m only 5 minutes drive from my office.  My wife has a half hour commute so is often unable to perform this role. In relation to the question of males picking up the burden.  As a second time round parent with young adult children I was heavily involved in their care and regularly had comments made about whaty a good, involved father I was.  15 years later the proportion of males doing the running around at activities has increased significantly (although there were not too many doing the drop off for the dreaded ballet concert rehearsal perhaps because most men are fundamentally incapable of doing a ballet bun) and most families seem to share the morning and after school pick ups and drop offs.  My wife has only just gone back to full time work after much angst which is why I have picked up more of the load.  Our almost 5 year old does not need the input her brother (Aspergers) needed however we will be doing readers at least once a week when she starts big school next year.  We are in the fortunate position of being able to negotiate our working circumstances in the search for the elusive work life balance.  like most we attempt to do the best of everything we can.Yes women still carry the majority of the burden however the guys have lifted their game significantly.

Highlights from this week's writing @ The Punch

The Truth about Britney, Rebekah Devlin

Sniping at Mothers is no solution at all Sarah Le Marquand

Inside our sexist college culture and how to fix it, Carina Garland

Heeeeeere’s Johnny David Penberthy

Let’s not give Britney another nervous breakdown, Sam Cleveland

Rudd tweets insults every fair-minded Australian

The dismissal: our greatest act of political infamy, Mike Rann

Ten dumber questions I could have asked Tiger Woods

This isn’t racism it’s called democracy. Kevin Andrews

Grief beyond words, Brad Hunter