Serena Williams won her first title as a mother and one columnist wasn’t happy

After three years, Serena Williams is a champion again. Sadly not everyone was too thrilled about a mother competing. When Serena Williams won the ASB Classic women’s title in Auckland on Sunday, the sold-out crowd stood and cheered. As the organisers rushed the court to prepare for the trophy presentation, Williams left. She strode off … Read more

That Aussie journalist is wrong about Jacinda Ardern

An Australian journalist launched an attack on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for not parenting her weeks-old baby properly – and Spinoff Parents readers were not happy. Tash Barneveld sums up why Natalie Ritchie’s take was such a bad one. We all knew Jacinda Ardern’s performance as a parent would be endlessly scrutinised, opined upon, and criticised … Read more

Penalising part-time teachers is a gender pay gap issue

High school teacher Amy Paulussen says that paying part-time teachers less for equivalent work than their full-time counterparts is evidence of how the gender pay gap has sneaked into the state sector. I recently returned to teaching. I’m not going to lie, with all the teacher-shortage and work-load-untenable news stories, I was daunted. And I’ve … Read more

A lawyer, writer and mother on why mothers are as ambitious as anyone

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Vodafone Xone. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Genevieve O’Halloran, a lawyer and mother who knows … Read more

Working mothers make great employees, so stop being an asshole about them

Jacinda Ardern’s plan to be both PM and a mum has prompted shrieks of outrage from some. What better example of the prejudice that many mums face when they go back to work, writes journalist and mother of two Sarah Stewart. To illustrate this story we have used photos of the author-mums who write for … Read more

Ice Icy Baby: Working in Antarctica when you have three kids

Lorraine Taylor speaks to NIWA scientist and mum of three Natalie Robinson about a life of science, of travel to a far-away land, and of staying connected to the people at home. For many of us, the thought of adding a bit of travel to our work-life balance sounds pretty good. For scientist Natalie Robinson, … Read more

The crucible of life: A mother returns to writing

Poet and mother Anna Livesey is interviewed by novelist and mother Kirsten McDougall on being creative, the mummy/woman divide, and her new book of poetry. Ordinary Time is Anna Livesey’s third book of poetry. In her book she delves deep into parenting, the personal and the political, and reflects on life as a mother. Let’s … Read more

Pumped for politics: I got my boobs out at the United Nations

It’s not every day you can say you expressed milk in the presence of world leaders. Gemma Gracewood looks back at that time she breastfed at the United Nations in New York, and considers what it’s like to work while parenting in the world of film and TV. One of the things about being a … Read more