Fair point, though it doesn't negate what I said either.

A hug and an "atta girl" isn't necessary meaningless but it isn't particularly meaningful either. It's too easy to become an empty performative gesture of appeasement rather than something that changes the hardship. A pat on the head.

It reminds me of Mother's Day. Most mother's are not particularly thrilled with Mother's day, did you know that? The woman who campaigned to make it a National holiday, she was extremely disappointed with how it was cheapened and commercialized a decade after the first observance on May 9, 1914. Anna Jarvis spent the last bit of her life trying to undo it.

A hug is nice but it's not decent parental leave, a partner who actually partners, time to yourself to rest and replenish, an end to mom shaming, flexible work schedules/arrangements as needed, child care, a ramp up program to ease back into work after parental leave, or ending career derailment because of motherhood.