We have had to postpone our wedding...
My partner and I moved back to Victoria from rural WA at the end of 2019, with our now 1 year old Leo, and 3...
It took eight years to get back to being a two-income family.
Carrying triplets put an enormous strain on my body. From around 12 weeks of pregnancy, I experienced morning sickness that lasted all day, terrible headaches,...
Let's make pre-school universal for all autistic children.
As a mum to a delightful, very perceptive, high energy and extremely funny 4 1⁄2 year old daughter who is autistic, I am passionate about...
Multiple birth families need more financial and hands on support.
I was able to access parental leave, however, as I was pregnant with triplets I had to finish work weeks earlier than expected. The babies...
The cost of childcare is a constant source of stress for us.
My name is Louise and with my partner Dan we have three children, currently 8, 6 and 1.5 years old. We live in inner Melbourne...
I have no option but to look for another job.
November 11, 2022
I went back to work when my son was six months old, as the centre director in an early childhood education and care centre. It’s...
I love my job and the sense of identity and purpose it gives me.
I stayed in a job I hated for four years longer than I should have because I was going through IVF and I wanted job...
It’s important for children to see mum and dad both being parents
September 14, 2022
Our first child, Jasper, was born 12 years ago. Being a teacher working in a permanent position for the NSW Department of Education, I was...
Why was it up to me to make all of these sacrifices?
The choices I made when I entered the corporate workforce 15 years ago were mainly centred around three things: Location - I knew the importance...
My husband was given inadequate parental leave.
In February 2021, I gave birth to identical twin girls, Florence and Cecilia. While their arrival has, in so many ways, been the most wonderful...
We need to value early childhood educators.
When my daughter turned 10 months old, I sent her to a nearby daycare centre. I felt guilty about having her start daycare but thought...
I almost quit the profession a few times.
I really like the psychological side of being an educator. The first seven years are very important for a child's development. Scientific evidence has shown...
Inclusive education has a lasting impact on kids' lives.
My education journey is a bit different from most other students; I have attended public school, private school (both religious and independent), alternative education (such as Montessori...
I’d just signed a short contract when I found out I was pregnant.
I've had two children and in between I worked mostly on short-term contracts, with some project work through my sole trader business. In the middle...
Staff are burning out faster than ever.
As I ran my own business, I could only access my paid parental leave from Centrelink. My husband accessed two weeks of parental leave from...
The system values a man’s contribution above a woman’s.
We went into parenthood with our eyes wide open. We hoped it would be great, but we knew it would be hard. We have two...
It’s terribly difficult to balance work and family life.
I wasn’t eligible for the government’s Parental Leave Pay as I earned just over the threshold. Once Centrelink adjusted my taxable income and added negative...
I wish the Child Care Subsidy was less complex.
My partner and I both worked for the same employer and we were entitled to share 18 weeks at full pay. We took 36 weeks...
I want parents to know we’re not nannies, we're educators.
Back home in Venezuela I used to be a primary teacher. When I moved to Australia I thought I’d try early childhood to see what...
I thought, “Oh my gosh should I change careers?"
I followed my husband to come to Australia. Before that, I lived in China and I was a GP in a clinic. I met some...
Was my role all of a sudden worth nothing?
One year ago my partner Ant, a plumber by trade, and I, an events manager, took on the mammoth task of becoming parents to our...
Accessing early learning proved to be incredibly difficult.
I was able to access paid parental leave, however, due to it only being reflective of the national minimum income I had to save ahead...
It soon became clear that this was no longer the same job.
From an early age I had a fascination for children’s worlds. Christmas Day in my teen years was spent on the floor with my younger...
I needed to start earning an income as soon as possible.
I became a single parent at 10 weeks’ gestation. For the next 28 weeks my focus was on “what happens next”. Needless to say, I...
How can I establish a career while paying costly fees?
Finding out we were pregnant with our first child was an exciting and daunting time. It was the intended beginning of the end of my...
We made the hard decision I wouldn't return to work.
I was first told how expensive childcare was by colleagues when I was pregnant with my first child in 2018. Over $100 a day! I...
People made comments like, “oh are we babysitting today?”
We got pregnant around the same time I got laid off from a job. It worked out well, as I’d always said I wanted to...
Q&A with Garrwa woman Deandra McDinny
With Garrwa woman Deandra McDinny, Indi Kindi Educator How long have you been working at Indi Kindi? I have been working six years at Indi...
We spent 80+ minutes taking the kids to and from childcare.
I enrolled my son at a childcare centre a couple of months into my pregnancy as I had heard it can be challenging to get...
My career’s taken a back seat while men around me advance.
I grew up on a property and always wanted to be a National Parks Ranger. I worked hard and managed to become a Ranger in...
I had no government or company paid parental leave.
Eight months ago, my partner and I welcomed our first child during the second NSW lockdown. It was an exciting and nervous time. I’d always...
It’s been the most costly thing I’ve ever done.
My partner, Trent, and I would have absolutely loved more than two children. We decided not to just based on the cost of childcare. My...
Juggling family, work and expensive childcare was tricky.
I was very fortunate that the law firm that I was working for when I had my first child, Dylan, rewrote their parental leave policy...
The fees in Sydney were like birth control.
Patti and Joseph were enjoying everything the eastern suburbs of Sydney offered until their beautiful baby Zali arrived in January 2020. With no family nearby and...
It’s more than tough to raise children and work full time.
To say that raising children while trying to both work full time has been tough is an understatement. As the kids have gotten older, the...
Every centre had a waitlist of 12 months.
When my son was 14 months old, we were lucky enough to get him into a small, community co-op early childhood education and care (ECEC)...
I wanted to see a change to the Fair Work Act.
My pregnancy was great until 20 weeks when it was discovered I had a shortened cervix. Fortunately, I wasn’t in labour. However, I was at...
An integrated family focus is key to Australia's future.
My husband Jamie and I are both Australian citizens living in Germany. In late 2019, my husband was offered a two-year international expat assignment at...
It will make no financial sense for me to return to work.
Our lives changed in early April 2021 when my husband and I welcomed the most amazing little girl Isla into our family. We had worked...
A mix of motherhood and work was always my plan.
My parenthood journey began in 2019 when my daughter Caoimhe was born. My husband and I are both Irish with little family support in Australia....
Dads in Australia want to take parental leave.
If you’re a dad and your partner is planning on taking primary carer’s parental leave after having a baby - which is overwhelmingly the case...
Australia’s policies leave a lot to be desired down under.
My husband, Felix, is Swedish and I am Australian. We have been on various stints of parental leave, fitting life and work into the picture...
It’s essential that society supports families.
My name is Alicia Johnson and I am an Indigenous woman. My tribes are Barkindji, Buri Gubbi and Wakka Wakka – I’m also a single...
I enjoy being a Dad and I want to share the caring.
I am married to Karen and we have four sons between us: James (13), Lincoln (10), Gabriel (8) and Harry (2). Lincoln and Gabriel have...
Motherhood made me invisible - Dinah's story.
Feeling invisible started when I was pregnant with my first. I had intense morning sickness and would spend most days in the toilet. I had...
Every other family should have the same opportunity.
Our story starts when I became pregnant with our second son. After experiencing the stress and pain of being zombified parents to a new baby...
I am now 10 years out of the workforce.
I was late to motherhood, like many women of my generation. Encouraged by my parents who wanted all of their 4 children to achieve all...
People assumed I wouldn't return to work.
I was not prepared for my first experience of parental leave. I loved and enjoyed my daughter, but I found it hard being at home...
She is 50% my child, so I will do 50% of the work of caring for her.
“She is 50% my child, so I will do 50% of the work of caring for her.” That was my first thought when my pregnant...
I tend not to work during school holidays due to the cost of care.
Parenting is great! But it's not easy juggling parenting and work commitments. I currently use before and after school care for my 12 year old...
My journey in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.
My journey in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector began as an Educator in 2007. From this spurred a deep passion for early childhood...
The 6 months I was able to fully concentrate on my son.
January 12, 2022
The 6 months which I was able to fully concentrate on my son have positively influenced our relationship to this day When our son was...
Mainstream school or additional needs learning?
At the age of one, our daughter Rosalie, now three, was diagnosed with a neurogenetic condition called Angelman Syndrome (AS). What is Angelman Syndrome you...
The costs of returning to work have been a surprise.
I love my job! I'm very proud of the career I've built and get a lot of personal career satisfaction from my work. I work...
Germany’s parental policies are a lot more supportive.
Michael & Seema: Our three children were all born in Berlin, Germany, and to be honest, it was only when we moved to Australia –...