Bix

I think the suffragette movement has a lot to answer for.

Cheetah7

I tried to burn my bra but I did the whole town instead.

Sheff_Sparky

dont do things half-heartedly do you?

Scott

you wanna rephrase that Sam

Sheff_Sparky

Cheetah7

I meant that my bra was so big that it.... Oh I know what I meant

midwife-mandy

Hi, I think every family is different. Some parents dont have the choice to stay at home and some might not want to. Parenting is hard enough without thinking that others are judging you, You feel guilty most of the time anyway. I think that us parents should support each other because it is the hardest job in the world

Sally Simpson

Well said. I have worked nearly all the time since having kids. We don't have an extravagant lifestyle & live an ordinary life. Fact is we could not manage on one salary alone.
At the moment I work one full day & 8.30-3.30 the other 4 days so that I can be home before & after school but it is jolly hard work. But wether you work or not , being a parent is very hard work & as has been said, wracked with guilt.
BTW, my OH has had 2 spells of being househusband & he was terribly organised about everything, had days for washing, cleaning etc, not like me at all! So, in my ideal world, I would actually be paid what I am worth & then he could stay at home!!!

Nickie

I think that as long as the children are well cared for then its all groovy. Kev keeps threatening that when we move he is going to stay at home with the kids and i can work full time, ha hes in for a shock give him a month and he'll be begging to go to work. Im a qualified preschool assistant so harv would come with me anyway.

You know what really PISSES me off tho! when a women is home with the kids shes classed as 'at home looking after the kids' when a fella goes out for the night the women is ' at home'
BUT

when a man is home with the kids reguardless of whether mum is at work or on a night out the fella is BABYSITTING!!!!!!!!

You dont babysit your own kids, you stay at home and look after them. You can only babysit someone elses children not your own!!!!
My friend calls my kids my hobbies!! cos she recons that its something i do without getting paid for!!! heh heh yes before you ask she is childless!!!

whats child benefit if its not being paid for looking after your own kids??????


that really gets me mad!!!!!

now ive got that off my chest........

Nickie

asher

we took it in turns to look after the children when they were small which was ideal for us

whatever works for both parents is ok

parenting is a partnership

Nickie

excatly so you dont babysit your own kids do you??!! bet you never refered to your other half as babysitting when it was his turn to have em did you. And yes i am quite passionate about this.

Nickie

asher

no he was looking after the kids

mind you people referred to both of us as babysitting

Reedy

Hi PP,

I always thought that I would be a stay at home mum and had opportunity to when I had my eldest child.

However I was 21, had been working full time and doing a degree distance learning / day release and was always mentally challenged.

When I had Lyd all my mates were in Uni and I was stuck in house all day with her, with no-one to see and couldn't afford to go shopping or any other things that I would have loved to.

My mate, who is a Director was struggling for someone to help in work and so asked whether I would do her a favour and help out from home. I found working from home difficult so went to the office for 4 hours a day - it was so lovely to be 'Laura' again and to have opinions that people valued.

Sometimes when you are at home you become a non-identity - a wife and mother..... But not really a person.

I really respect women who do stay home with their children but it really wasn't for me. I am sure that I would have become really depressed if I was at home any longer. As it is she had a happy mum and a better lifestyle from me working.

killamarsh

I'm not sitting on the fence but honestly feel and think - each to their own. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer. I have a young child and work full time. If I wasn't a single parent, would I work full time - probably because I love to go to work.

Having said that, I would choose which path to follow and not do what my OH asked me to do if I had a OH. I came into this world on my own and will leave on my own so don't need to be told how to live my life. If I felt that my son needed me more, I would cut my hours. But, how many hours would you cut?

Reedy

I am lucky with my job that I can be flexible.....

Sometimes my kids suffer for my work and sometimes my work suffers for my kids!!

I also love work........ but like most parents love my kids more

I am also lucky that MIL looked after them for me when they were babies and so I knew they were safe and loved.

Lau x