Mothers are Already the Safety Net. Now We Must Be a Firewall. (Audio)

I am very angry right now. In my community, I’m witnessing a fixable systemic childcare problem be cemented squarely on the shoulders of individual families, rather than those with power and resources collectively addressing a real need.My beleaguered public school district is waving the white flag of surrender to its working parents over our afterschool program. In this week’s audio newsletter, I’ll make a case for why we have to resist the dismantling of safety nets. This is the last free audio newsletter for everyone. If you’re a paid member, you still have access. If you’ve loved these audio newsletters and want to try out our membership program, go to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners for a free 30-day trial.Now I want to change gears from fire breathing to recommend a few Substacks to you:I love the Substack from Lindsey Stanberry called . She gets personal with the people she interviews and it’s so illuminating. My favorite one of her series is Home Economics where people share al the nitty gritty details about what they spend money on in a month. Also has a Division of Labor series about household responsibilities among couples I think Double Shifters will love.Also, definitely check out I’m Walking Here by . She’s one of the original tastemakers in the mom space looong before momfluencers were a thing, and her newsletter is a great mix of common sense advice, analysis of current events, observations on parenting and parenting culture, pithy media commentary, unabashed feminism, GenX nostalgia, oddly persistent optimism, gift guides and recommendations.Members-only Hangout THIS FRIDAY! I can’t wait for our Members-only hangout on March 15th at 3pm EST! I’m thrilled that two long-time Double Shift members will join me in conversation about how creativity and caregiving intersect, overlap, conflict, and interplay. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot as my “day job” requires "creativity.” But writing doesn’t always feel “creative” for me when it’s part of my “work.” I will be joined by musician Jaspar Lepak and visual artist Ilyse Iris Magy. Whether you are also a professional creative, someone who explores creativity through hobbies, someone who’s shelved creativity because of your caregiving duties, or someone who thinks they don’t have a creative bone in your body, this will be an enriching discussion for us all! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

After all of the intensity of being a business lady and switching platforms in the last few weeks, I thought I’d change gears with this occasional beloved series on a wide range of things that make my life better. None of these are a substitute or solution for a robust social safety net or a society that values care, but they are still fun. Nothing in this list is sponsored, and not all require purchases to experience.If you love audio newsletters and what to try out our membership program, go to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners for a free 30-day trial.Recommended Links:* Zuri Kenya Dresses* The DoubleTree Inn and Suites* Ukiyo Teacup* The Substack App* LocopopsIf you love the Double Shift, I think you’ll also love: * Matriarchy Report: Journalists and have a great weekly newsletter focusing on solutions to issues around care work and family life. Their formats include personal essays, Q&As with authors and experts of all kinds, as well as original reporting. I was honored that they recently featured my work at New America under the awesome titles 8 Great Gifts for Caregivers and Every Time Motherhood Radicalizes Someone, an Angel Gets Its Wings. Check out their great work and give ‘em a Subscribe.Making it Work: If you liked this edition of The Double Shift newsletter, you’ll love the thoughtful recommendations from ’s great newsletter. Her taste is impeccable (or just very similar to mine) and well-researched, especially in the books department for both kids and adults. Also, I love that she makes great recommendations without being overly consumerist, which feels like a fine line sometimes. I think you’ll love it as much as I do. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s audio newsletter is an essay about Sophia Chitlik, who is running for NC state senate here in Durham, North Carolina. What excites me the most about Sophia is that she’s promoting a platform we need candidates from across the country to try out. She’s running on care. You can connect with Sophia and read more about her campaign at her website, https://sophiafornc.com. If you love audio newsletters and what to try out our membership program, go to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners for a free 30-day trial. If you love the Double Shift, I think you’ll also love: Therapy Takeaway: Dr. (who’s also the author of the wonderful book, Real Self Care) has a newsletter that tackles fascinating systemic issues moms in particular face but brings her unique perspective as a reproductive physiatrist to offer concrete and insightful solutions. I loved her recent post, How to Make Hanging Out Happen, which gives helpful framing on how and why we feel like we never have time for unstructured connection with people. She also offers great ideas for creating more “hangout space” in your life. Platonic Love Letter: I recently discovered the work of Sir and and their wonderful newsletter devoted to friendship. I’m particularly taken with their 8-week Training Program for Friendship, which they describe as a “running club meets support group for friendship.” with prompts, action items, and robust discussions in the comment threads. Based on conversations I’ve had with Double Shifters over the years, building meaningful friendships is top-of-mind for many of you, so definitely check out and subscribe to Platonic Love Letter.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the audio version of The Double Shift newsletter, read by yours truly, Katherine Goldstein.Today’s edition is about my big financial decision to switch newsletter platforms, and what it means to “start over.” I’m ready (with my face scrunched and my fingers crossed) to take the risk of asking my existing members to stick with me by taking a few extra steps to sign up again with their credit cards on Substack. I believe what I do is valuable. I want it to reach more people. I want to earn more money for it. If you are new to The Double Shift newsletter, some recent posts you may enjoy are my two-part series: The “Every Family for Themselves” Fight for Summer Camp & How to Make Summer Better for Everyone. Or check out Millennial Dads and The Caregiving Praise Conundrum, Your Working Conditions as A Parent Are Unacceptable, or How to Make Friends as An Adult. If you want more audio newsletters and want to be a part of our community, subscribe now and become a member of the Double Shift. If you have questions or need help with your podcast feed or membership, reach out to us at [email protected]. You can get a one month free trial of The Double Shift newsletter on Substack by going to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners or click the button below. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

For some of you, it may have been a minute since you've heard from me since we stopped producing episodes last year. But I want you to know I'm still working hard on all sorts of issues and stories about challenging the status quo of motherhood and beyond. Also, the Double Shift community is thriving!Today I'm sharing some highlights from my new report, A Playbook to Transform How America Cares: The Care Movement’s Winning Tactics, Lessons, and Case Studies from the Pandemic Era and Beyond which I think Double Shifters will love.If you want to dive into the full report, you can read it here or download the PDF and read it on your Kindle if you're into that. And if you don't have time for this 60 page masterpiece, you can read the key findings here.Be sure to sign up for the written newsletter that's available to all at thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. And if you want to support this work and get audio newsletters like this one weekly, go to thedoubleshift.com/join. It starts at $7 a month and you get all kinds of member perks in addition to the audio newsletters, like weekly discussion threads, monthly virtual and IRL events, and more!Thank you for listening and I appreciate your support - xo Katherine This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

It’s been a minute since you’ve heard from us, but Katherine is excited to share news about the next chapter of The Double Shift, a newsletter and community that’s a social change laboratory for moms. The Double Shift has always been more than a podcast, and we're embracing our membership community as a place for building connections around political, social and workplace change, transforming families and building a more just future for everyone. We believe in:Solidarity — not adviceBold ideas — not life hacksCuriosity — not judgmentThoughtful research and analysis — not uninformed flame throwingMembership starts at $7/mo, and members get:An audio version of the newsletter to listen to on your favorite playerThe ability to comment on public posts and members-only private threadsAccess to members-only hangouts on Zoom (and in person!)This is the start of the list. More benefits coming, based on member feedback.Read the full announcement post here! Your paying membership allows this to be one of the very-few non-corporate spaces left on the mom-internet. To sign up for our revamped newsletter full of reporting about the forces that shape family life in America and challenging the status quo of motherhood, go to thedoubleshift.com/newsletter.To see all the member benefits, join the community or upgrade your membership go to thedoubleshift.com/join.If you’d like a donated membership email, [email protected] next virtual hangout is July 20th at 3pm EST. It’s titled Workplace Revolution w/Erin Grau, who’s the co-founder and COO of Charter Works. To listen to Erin on the Double Shift, listen to "Paid Leave, We Can Do Better," and the followup episode we made about Double Shifters who were galvanized to advocate for better family policies by listening to Erin's story. To celebrate our relaunch, this event is open to all. RSVP here.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

The Double Shift podcast launched three years ago to share the real stories of motherhood in America, and radically explore the social forces that make being a mom so challenging. We’ve brought you stories from inside brothels and a 24-hour childcare center; we’ve confronted capitalism, patriarchy, and the idealized myth of nuclear family; we opened up conversations about mental health and its stigma and amplified the voices of people often left out of conversations about motherhood; and we’ve gone deep on the experiences of moms and caregivers during the pandemic. Along the way we’ve reframed the conversation about motherhood and built a community of folks who aren’t only listening, but also supporting each other and taking action to make their communities better. While the podcast in this format will be on indefinite hiatus, our work is just getting started. We’ll be investing time and energy into our free weekly newsletter, led by Katherine, about the forces that shape family life in America, filled with reporting and storytelling. Sign up here: thedoubleshift.com/newsletterWe’re also nourishing our robust member community with hangouts, audio newsletters, and more. Please join us and support our ongoing mission! It starts at $5/mo. Go to thedoubleshift.com/join.THANK YOU with our whole hearts for being part of The Double Shift.  In case you’d like to go down memory lane, here’s a playlist of some of our favorite episodes over the last 3 years. Pre-order Angela’s book, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change.Read this week's newsletter: 5 Things I've Learned as a Pandemic Mom and Podcast Business Lady This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

For six months last year, tens of millions of families could count on consistent, predictable support from their government to help defray the steep financial cost of raising a child in this country. We hear from moms about how these monthly Child Tax Credit checks helped them support their families, move forward in their careers, make change in their communities, and reduce the psychological trauma of trying to raise a family while living in a constant state of precarity.… and about what life is like now that the payments have ended. Oh, and one guest’s CTC-supported success story has THE most dysfunctional American twist … take a listen. Our Thanks to The Better Life Lab at New America for their support with this episode.If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, PLEASE sign up here:https://www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. This is the best way for us to stay in touch with you about the future plans we have cooking.If The Double Shift podcast has meant something to you personally or had an impact on your life, we’d love to hear about it. You can send us an email or a voice memo recorded on your phone to [email protected], and we may use it in our upcoming episode. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Changing workplaces to make them substantially better for moms and caregivers is, in fact, possible.Inspired by our show on paid family leave back in 2019, we hear from some Double Shift listeners who fiercely advocated for -- and got -- better paid family leave at their companies.We are closer than ever before to getting federally funded paid leave for everyone. This is so important, but it’s just one part of an ongoing movement. Today’s episode offers encouragement, some playbook tactics, some real world examples, and something we all need right now -- hope. Subscribe to our newsletter: www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter, and become a member to support our show. www.thedoubleshift.com/join.Listen to our episode from 2019, Paid Leave, We Can Do Better.Subscribe to our newsletter: www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter, and become a member to support our show. www.thedoubleshift.com/join.Listen to our episode from 2019, Paid Leave, We Can Do Better.Information and Resources:“Where are the Mothers?” Read host Katherine Goldstein’s original reporting about how the women at the New York Times improved their parental leave.Making the case for parental leave:“5 Ways to Explain the Urgent Need for Paid Family Leave.” “The Economic Benefits of Paid Parental Leave.”“Wal-Mart and Now Starbucks: Why More Big Companies are Offering Paid Family Leave.”Read The NYTimes Parenting Section’s Guide to negotiating for parental leave:“How to Ask for Parental Leave When You’re an Hourly Worker”“How Freelancing Parents Can Create Maternity or Paternity Leave.”“How to Ask for Maternity or Paternity Leave When Your Company Has No Policy.”Additional organizations that support family leave advocacy:Paid Leave US is a national advocacy organization aimed at getting national paid family leave by 2022. Check out their FAQ,... This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Here at the Double Shift, we love to dismantle stigma through storytelling. So our guest this episode, Kenya Martin (aka "Abortion Diva"), speaks to our souls. Kenya is a former abortion clinic counselor in Texas, current activist, and a mom, who shed the shame she felt about her own abortions and became "loud and proud" about them to help other people feel less alone. As we grapple with Texas’ new abortion restriction law, and the looming Supreme Court decisions that could force more people into parenthood, Kenya talks about how reproductive freedom and economic justice are inherently intertwined, how abortion providers save lives, and her belief that any reason is a good reason to have an abortion.Angela and Katherine also share their own reproductive health experiences and why they've both become even more pro-abortion since becoming mothers. And, we hear from a listener -- on the cusp of becoming part of the 59% of abortion patients that have already had at least one child -- about how the challenges of parenting in the US are impacting her abortion decision. Notes:Angela recommends the book, Reproductive justice by Loretta Ross and Ricky Salinger.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe