In the age of apparent equality women are increasingly encouraged to ‘have it all’, balancing career, children and marriage to be seen as successful. However many feel this is bad for children who are then cared for by a childminder, nursery or member of the extended family (often grandparents). In many countries mothers (and indeed fathers) have a legal right to maternity (or paternity leave). For UK women this comprises 26 weeks paid leave and 26 weeks unpaid leave, in Sweden leave is offered to either parent until the child is 18 months old. Other options exist, protecting the right to ask for part-time work or flexible hours. However for many families, especially where the mother is the major breadwinner, it is financially impossible for her to stop work without considerable state support. However many studies also point to the years before a child starts school as the most important in its educational and emotional development. Many believe that for this reason the mother should be at home at least until her children start school in order to afford them the best start in life.

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Many women actually have no choice about whether to work or stay at home full time. Either because of poverty or because they are single parents, or both, women find they must work to earn enough money to provide for their family. Regardless of the supposed benefits to children of having a mother at home in their early years, studies have found clear evidence to show that childhood poverty has a lasting negative impact upon children. Expecting mothers to stay at home will also make them more dependent upon their partners, making it harder for women to escape from abusive relationships.

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personal choice :roll:

This is my personnel opinion Im not up for argument

I think if you want children then you should play a major part in bringing them up. I hear a lot of working mums complain about how there child is turning out!!

On the other side some kids are better off with child minders because they sometimes bring up the child better than their mothers.

I choose to bring up my 2nd child myself (Grand Ma spoilled my first and has caused irrevesible characteristics in her) but I still needed the money so I chose to go out and work in the evenings when my husband came home. I had a good job as a Desk Top Publisher and earned good money.

I now work in a supermarket for less money and its harder work and I have been labled a shop girl. But Im happy in the knowledge that I am bringing my kids up myself.

I know not everybody can work in the evenings like OPF but it suits us.

What really annoyed me is that this govenrment doesnt support people like me. If I continued to work and claimed child care I would of been better off. :shock:

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I was planing on going back to work after my daughter and a friend of mine who is a childminder would have ella for the normal fee.

When I worked out the cost of the childminder against what I would earn it just wasnt worth me going back to work as everything I would have earned would have gone straight to a childminder :? So now I dont have the chioce at the moment, plus if I did evening work it would be really hard to get someone to look after her as mark works really odd shifts each week.

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i also think this is a personal choice but think there should be a lot more help for mums that want to be able to go back to work, there is no possible way i could afford to go back to work even now with kids at the age they are, luckily they dont force single parents back to work altho we have to go for an interview every year that we are out of work to make sure we, are not just lazy i suppose :?

i think the same, it is a personal choice.

It definately is a personal choice. I do enjoy being at home with my 5 but sometyms i crave the company only a working environment can offer, away from the usual dirty nappy chat.

In saying that wen i did work i was so upset and resentful wen my wee babies did or said something for the first tym and i missed it. So this tym im enjoying ellie cos she wont be a baby for long then i wont have an excuse to stay at home.

Very valid point lee made tho about women being reliant on their hubbys and finding it difficult to escape relationships which are abusive. I no some people in that situation and actually in my first marraige found myself in a similar situation.

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LIZZIE XXXXX

I have the best of both worlds I became a childminder so that I could be at home with kids plus earn some money.
Plus I'm doing lots of courses to better my prospects later on

The thing to be on guard against is the money trap.
2 cars 2 holidays bigger mortgage and a couple of loans.

many mums get a job to buy the baby nice things and have a few extras,but the goverment push you to spend spend spend.

before long both parents have to work to keep up with there new lifestyle.

it used to be have kids and be a housewife OR be a career woman.
now the goverment want you to be both.

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