How to Bring Your Baby to Work
American mothers face a stark choice between leaving the workforce or separating from their infants, a dilemma amplified by the absence of a federal paid‑maternity leave. About 66% of U.S. mothers are employed, many full‑time, mirroring OECD trends. Evolutionary evidence shows mothers historically combined foraging with baby‑wearing, a model that modern remote‑work and flexible policies can emulate. However, the decline of baby‑friendly small firms and inconsistent employer support keep many parents from integrating childcare into their careers.
Babies Do Not Need Exclusive Maternal Care
Sarah Hrdy, a Harvard‑trained primatologist, argues in her book *Mothers and Others* that humans evolved as cooperative breeders rather than exclusive maternal caregivers. Drawing on langur monkey observations and recent hunter‑gatherer fieldwork, she shows infants were historically cared for by...