It’s common knowledge that women have historically been underpaid compared to male workers performing the same jobs. The good news is that because this trend is/was institutionalized on a large scale and for a long time, it’s easier to do something about it by making large-scale, institutional reforms, like changing state and federal laws and then seeing to it that they’re enforced. I say it’s “easier” that way, but easier than what? Easier than convincing individual women that they need to stop undervaluing their own work (and thereby subverting progress from within).

Hoo boy, I sound like I’m about to open up a can on the oppressed females of the evil patriarchy, but that’s not what I’m about at all. Here, let me explain: 
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Last week someone forwarded me this story on cnn.com, about parents who take their babies and toddlers to bars, and as soon as I saw the title I almost as quickly closed the link, afraid of what the article would say about the topic–or, to be honest, what it would say about me. Because I’ve taken my baby to a bar before–multiple times, in fact–and…I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. At least not the way I did it (which, of course, goes without saying, doesn’t it?).
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