Stay at home mums

Former Member

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Former Member

I'm not sure that everyone gets the choice. I'm sure that more people would stay at home with their kids, but pesky stuff like not having any money gets in the way.

What I don't agree with is families having lots of children with the full intention of neither parent working, and just living off state benefits.

Former Member

Why shouldn't women stay at home if they choose?

I think in earlier times women were often FORCED to be housewives. But if a woman is content doing it AND doing so of her own volition, then why not?

OK they aren't economically active (,i.e. in work earning money), but in many instances they aren't scrounging off the state either.

Former Member

No - just off their husbands/boyfriends

Former Member

It isnt scrounging off anyone, its doing one of the most important jobs there is, if not THE most important - raising the next generation. Women fought for the CHOICE to go out to work - not to be forced into it, staying at home raising a family can be a feminist choice, but so can going out to work. If a mother stays at home while the father works to support the family, shes not scrounging off her partner - shes raising his child. Same as if it were the other way round and he was raising the child and she was doing paid work.

Former Member

Absolutely - I wasn't being contentious, hence the winking smiley

Former Member

Being a full time Mum is a good thing when they are little. I don't see, once they are at school, why mums can't go out to work part time or flexible hours. If they want or need to that is.

Being a Mum isn't the be all and end all of a womans life. She can still have ambitions. Children do grow up, what are the mums going to do then?

Former Member

There should be help and support for mothers who stay at home to raise their kids as well as those who continue working.

Both options are perfectly acceptable and there is no sense in bashing anyone because they stay at home or because they wish to continue working.

Sadly there is a lot of bashing, especially of the latter group is often accused of "not caring" for their children or "destroying traditional family values".

Each to their own. Ultimately is the woman's choice.

Former Member

I'm gonna sit on the fence with this one. You could add the arguement of 'what if somebody decided they wanted to live on the dole', in that they're taking money and not putting it back.

However, perhaps looking after children when they're young is a good idea and women should be allowed the chance to do what they want, just as men should. But a housewife without children to me is little better than living off the dole...

But that's just my opinion.

Former Member

Originally posted by MoonRat
I'm gonna sit on the fence with this one. You could add the arguement of 'what if somebody decided they wanted to live on the dole', in that they're taking money and not putting it back.

However, perhaps looking after children when they're young is a good idea and women should be allowed the chance to do what they want, just as men should. But a housewife without children to me is little better than living off the dole...

But that's just my opinion.

My mom stayed at home while my brother and I were small, and then returned to working.

I doubt I'd do that if I ever become insane enogh to get kids of my own. But I can honestly say that I've had a stabile childhood, where I wasn't thrown at random people whenever I was sick, and whatever.

Former Member

Originally posted by Jacqueline the Ripper
My mom stayed at home while my brother and I were small, and then returned to working.

I doubt I'd do that if I ever become insane enogh to get kids of my own. But I can honestly say that I've had a stabile childhood, where I wasn't thrown at random people whenever I was sick, and whatever.

One thing I'd like to see (whilst slightly off topic) is more support for single parent families.

Former Member

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Former Member

Originally posted by girl with sharp teeth
Just wondering why you think that? Keeping a house properly is a full time job.

Making sure a child is brought up well so it becomes a mature, sensible adult is a good enough reason to stay at home. Staying at home for the sole purpose of making sure the house is clean is silly in my opinion. Scientific reports have proven that a parent at home is good for a child (will find a source for this later), so if a parent is staying home to clean the house and make sure the kids are picked up, that's fair enough, it is quite important, but if it is just a couple there is really no point. A house can be kept just as well by a person who has a job.

Former Member

^
yep.

Anyone who needs 35 hours a week to clean their house should see a doc about their OCD...

Former Member

Originally posted by Blagsta
^
yep.

Anyone who needs 35 hours a week to clean their house should see a doc about their OCD...

That's as maybe.

But if they are not claiming benefits to do this, why are they "scrounging off the state", like Patricia Hewitt seems to think?

Former Member

I have no idea. Why not email her and ask?

Former Member

I personally couldn't see myself wanting to stay at home raising a family, though I'm only 19 now, so who knows how I'll feel in a few years time -

But my sister is a single parent of an 8 year old and has been working for 10 years now - Though now that's shes living with someone... she has recently been unhappy at work as she wants to spend more time with her daughter and hopefully have another kid when the time is right - I fully support her with that, though suggested she still has a part-time job, purely for her sake - Nothing to do with money - Just to help her get out of the house, socialising with ones her age and still meeting new people, etc -