Thread in main section about SAH ED Mum & Nick Clegg

[Otta]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1073540

I think the woman is talking utter shite, but someone asked me to post here to get some ED mum opinions.

[Monkey]

What others have said. Too many pearls.

[Belle]

Yes, I can't argue with the new scheme only being for families where both parents work (or one if single parent), but I do find the perception that stay at home parenting is a massive luxury a bit less straightforward. Obviously that's the case for many people. But for many others, working just doesn't pay - that's the whole point of this new system being introduced - to try to make it easier for people to go back to work.* Particularly if you have more than one child, and so are paying double the childcare, you have to be on pretty high salary to be making any profit. Equally there are those, and I know several people in this situation, who have made huge sacrifices to stay at home, it's a decision they've made for their own reasons. So I don't think it's possible to generalise.

*whether the new scheme is any better or not, I still can't work out. It'll apply to more people but initially anyway not to over 5s, which means afterschool club/breakfast club costs won't be covered.

[Mrs TP]

But the gov't has to create the jobs too and employers have to switch on and get with the flexible working program.

[Shaggy]

Could not agree with you more mrs tp. I was told by my employer "to not even ask for flexible working", which is illegal, I know. Clever flexible policies, such the ones gaby hinsliff describes in her book Half a Wife, would not be that onerous on companies.