@guest500 what a beautiful message 

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much going on between the ears here. I live in Perth and see this level of behaviour alot. Condemnation from their peers is unlikely to bring a lightbulb moment. Only childhood education helps I believe (from parents mostly but also school) so too late for these three. The fear of course is that these types of men will breed more uneducated, sexist morons. 

Great article. Thanks for writing this and reminding us all of the actual human beings behind these stories we read. Not to sound too old, but I personally think the internet has a lot of blood on its hands. 

@reannon my husband feels the same as you and he's angry. His parents have flights booked from the UK for 11th March to see us and their grandson. But when the next news story down says 25 died in one day in NSW and they are about to surpass 1000 virus deaths and approach a 'grim milestone', we have to realise that we've all been living in a paradise bubble in WA that will burst when the borders open. Mark McGowen, I believe, sees those numbers of deaths as actual people - mums, dads, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters. Not just numbers. This is not to mention all the businesses and livelihoods that people are losing in the eastern states. He's only asking that we hang on a little longer. 

I waited until I was 39 to have my one and only child. I had peri-natal anxiety throughout my pregnancy as all you hear about and read about is how hard it will be and how tired you will be. I was also scared of how life changing it would be and whether I was ready for that (I really wasn't - I was still buying lonely planets for San Francisco and NY). We also have no family here to help, just me and my husband. But, I wish I knew then what I know now. That my little boy, now 5, is the best thing ever. Yes it was dull sometimes, yes I was tired sometimes. I don't even like kids. But I love him and I'm so so glad I had him.

So glad for her. She deserved to win this against these disgusting tabloid newspapers. Meghan is the role model I want for my daughter. Not the kardashians. 

Thank you for writing this. It is somewhat reassuring to hear someone else acknowledge the adult bullying that is so prevalent in our society. My son started kindy this year and the clique and intimidation from some of the mums (all of whom were brand new to us) has shocked me to the core. I now have anxiety at pick up and drop off because of it. I had no idea that adults still behaved in this way and I'm now looking at different schools to get away from the parent's bullying, not the children. 

Thank you for sharing this so confidently. I was told by a work colleague, adamantly, that I HAD to breast feed. Even though I said I didn't want to, and I had my own personal reasons. The breast is best rhetoric is so ingrained in our society that I feel like it's taken away our confidence and freedom to make that choice. I know that my mental health would have suffered if I'd breast-fed. Yet my mental health still suffered as I felt I had to defend my decision to this person throughout my pregnancy.