EARLIER THIS WEEK, Today FM newsreader Susan Keogh was trolled by a gentlemen who told her that she shouldn’t have a baby and a job.
Sound guy.
Rather than leave it go, Keogh decided to pen a powerful open letter in which she addressed the double standards facing working mothers and put the troll back in his box.
“Dear Brave Man,” she writes. “I got your message. The one where you pointed out that if I missed my 4 year old girl so much while I’m in work, then I should just give up my job. Or quit posting pictures of her, at the very least. How had I not thought of that? So helpful.”
I work for many reasons. I like my job. It’s really important to me. Not saving lives important, I get that, but it’s important to me. I enjoy it. It makes me happy and content. And as a result a better Mom.
I work Monday to Friday. That’s 5 days where my child goes to preschool & creche. The icing on the cake — I miss bed time most nights. Do you know how many people point this out to me? Too many. My husband leaves the house at 5 every morning. He misses “wake up time” every day. Guess how many people point this out to him? You guessed it! None.
She explains that she works to show her daughter that she “can make choices” and pursue whatever kind of path she wishes.
I want to show her that she can make choices. I want her to be confident enough to make the right ones for her. I want her to choose happiness.
She ends the note by referring to the Big Brave Man in question by his rightful title…
And when I addressed you earlier as ‘Brave Man’ what I actually meant to say was ‘Tosser’.
The letter has been liked and shared hundreds of times on Twitter with many commending Keogh for her frank and eloquent take on the topic.
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Others, meanwhile, were just amazed that such attitudes could still exist in 2016.
We feel you, girl.
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