AN IAS officer bringing her three-year-old son to a public function — on a holiday — in Kerala and delivering her speech while holding him in her arms as he had run towards her while she was seated on the dais has triggered a debate on the propriety of the act after a video clip of the incident went viral on social media.And, barring patriarchal ridicule, the debate on this issue — faced by countless young working mothers every day — has been largely propelled by an accepting and kind public. Maintaining work-life balance is challenging as women do multi-tasking and work with dedication to keep both parts of their lives equally rewarding. she is a ‘24x7 mum and a 24x7 District Collector.’ It clearly implies that she takes her responsibilities both as a civil servant and a mother equally seriously.Acut-and-dried approachtowardswomen would be unjust. Even as younger and enterprising women increasingly take centre stage in all walks of life, including those that had been the exclusive preserve of men, the workplace is still taking baby steps towards adapting and adjusting to the new standards expected thereof. Heartwarmingly, positive vibes exuded for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018 when she took her three-month-old daughter to a United Nations General Assembly session. Last year in Chandigarh, the story of a policewoman on road traffic duty, left with little choice but to take her infant child along due to the unavailability of any babysitterathome,garneredmuchtraction.Ithadtheimmediate effect of her getting transferred to an easier duty. The talk about the right of children and mothers to spend time together raises hope that efforts towards strengthening childcare centres and creche facilities in the country would get a boost. At the moment, they are pathetically inadequate. Incidentally, much to the joy of the kids and moms, Kerala has been busy opening creches at workplaces since August. The other states would do well to follow suit and set up workplace childcare centres.