When we talk about working parents, we often focus on mums. But what if one of the biggest missing pieces in the conversation is dads?

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast, Carina speaks with fatherhood advocate Michael Ray about why working mums cannot carry the load alone, and why fathers need to be seen, supported and expected to be equal parents from the beginning.

Michael shares his own story of becoming a father at 49 and then unexpectedly becoming a solo dad to his daughter Charlie. From being banned from backstage at his daughter’s ballet concert because “no males were allowed”, to speaking out about the lack of change tables in men’s bathrooms and the stigma dads face when asking for flexible work, Michael opens up about the systems that still assume mums are the default parent.

In this episode, you will learn:

- Why working mums burn out when fathers are treated as “optional” parents - The hidden “fatherhood forfeit” and what dads miss when work comes first - Why men are more likely to have flexible work requests denied - How unequal parenting starts in the newborn stage - Why fathers need more parental leave and support - How workplaces can better support dads and working families - Why sharing the mental load at home is critical for gender equality

If you are a new mum, returning to work after maternity leave, or feeling like you are carrying too much at home, this episode will make you feel seen, and remind you that you were never meant to do it all alone.

Connect with Michael:

• Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
• Check out Michael's website

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If you're about to go back to work after maternity leave, or you're already back and wondering why it feels so much harder than expected, this episode is for you.

The truth is, no one really prepares you for the emotional reality of the return. The guilt. The overwhelm. The strange feeling of being expected to show up as the same person you were before, when you are fundamentally, beautifully different.

In this episode, I'm walking you through what the first 90 days of returning to work after parental leave actually looks like - the messy, the hard, and what genuinely helps.

Episode resources and links

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

Podcast ep https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lighten-your-mental-load-ditch-the-mum-guilt-and/id1495282250?i=1000719634108

You came back from parental leave a different person - more resilient, more decisive, less tolerant of nonsense, and more capable. The question isn't whether you can do your role. It's whether you will give yourself permission to show up as the upgraded version of yourself.

This week on the Working Mumma Podcast, I chat with Rebecca Houghton, founder of Bold HR and author of More Impact, More Easily — a book that started as a guide for middle managers and turned out to be essential reading for every working mum navigating her way back after maternity leave.

Rebecca has over 20 years of experience in leadership, talent, and organisational transformation.

In this episode, we go deep on what the return to work really involves, and why most women are doing it harder than they need to.

In this episode we cover:

• Why returning to work after having a baby is actually one of the most powerful career resets you'll ever have, and how to use it consciously
• The two-part reset every working mum needs: one for your home system, one for your professional identity
• Why nobody does two jobs well and what has to change before you go back (hint: it's not just you)
• The worthiness vs capability confidence model and why your inner critic goes into overdrive when you return
• The difference between input and impact and why your boss is measuring you by a completely different currency than you think
• Why the "let it go" mindset shift is the single most important tool for working mums in their first year back
• How to have a conversation with your inner voice (yes, really) and why Rebecca named hers Desdemona

Episode resources and links

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn and check out her book "More Impact, More Easily" on boldhr.com

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn