Editorial: Ardern's mothering feat is not unusual

Mark Dawson - Editor.

"Young mum looks after baby as she gets on with her job".

Not the most sensational headline; not the most sensational occurrence - any number of mothers juggle parenting duties and earning a living.

Yet Jacinda Ardern, busy being Prime Minister and attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week with daughter Neve (just over three months old) in tow seems to have boggled a few minds. It certainly prompted a huge twitch of international eyebrow-raising as the world's media honed in on the three Kiwis suddenly centre stage of global news.

A stunning event (well, baby-at-UN is another world first for New Zealand), but also an ordinary, everyday happening - we've even had young nippers running round the Chronicle office. Was it the overturning of the stuffiness and rigidity of the United Nations that made it remarkable; or perhaps that it took place in the deeply conservative United States which still hasn't managed to come up with a female president?

UN spokeswoman Stephane Dujarric commented: "Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother."

Former United States ambassador to the UN Samantha Power: "I cannot stress how much the @UN - and the governments that comprise it - need this."

Of course, Ardern has the benefit of partner Clarke Gayford as a stay-at-home, or travel-alongside, dad. If Ardern is a poster girl for working mums, Gayford is surely the pin-up of primary caregiver fathers. In fact, despite being regularly pilloried by New Zealand lobby group Family First and other "family values" outfits, our "first family" look like great role models for the family unit.

As Ardern would be quick to acknowledge, the support from her partner is invaluable and many are doing it tough without that support. "Young mum looks after baby as she gets on with her job" is also the story of solo mothers, but it's one that would barely cause a ripple among the world's media.

And then there's the solo dads - they're largely invisible.

Still, well done to our PM for making the ordinary seem extraordinary last week.

What next? A member of the royal family closing a car door?