Stay-at-home mums should go to work!

[maxmaximus]

So according to Staunton it was 28% after WW1 and only reached 35% by 1971? The point I was trying to make (badly) was that Staunton was referring to a time that didn't really exist (large owner occupier %age) and comparing today to it..ther is still 2 or 3 times the number of owner occupiers to what there was in the good old fifties..if home ownership is a measure of success then we are in successful times..maybe not as much as 5 or 10 years ago but nevertheless compared to the fifties it's not bad..

 

I would say it’s a measure of more equal distribution of wealth, better that everyone owns their own home, rather than having to rent them off the rich minority, something Margret Thatcher understood.

[twibstix]

This is a tough one because he cost of childcare is too expensive forcing mothers to stay at home as they are better off as working full time and have your child in Nursery half or more of your income is spent on this. This is then forcing mothers to only 20 or less hours a week, The Government have said that they will give working families more help under the 2012, 2013 budget but like other people said we cannot have this culture of people who are irresponsible having children they cannot afford the Government needs to draw a fine line between the people who genuinely need the help and those just abusing the system as they do not want to work.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2013 at 00:37 ----------

 

 

If you have both worked I think it disgusting you cannot get help, have you tried Child Tax Credits?? Working Tax Credits?? the Government do not realise raising a child is damn expensive not done it myself but know others who have children, what gets me about it is if you chose not to work and had a child you would get £60 a week no matter what which makes no sense. I know someone who has never had a full time job she has been on various benefits so never paid tax national insurance etc and because she has had a child recently she is getting £60 a week for that child but she has never ever contributed, I feel like in that case why should the tax payer pay for her child when she herself has never paid in? it is like the Government like to punish honest hardworking people like yourself and your partner who go out to work and line the pockets of idle people who cannot be bothered to work like that person I know.

 

I contributed to the system for over 25 years before having our daughter, her dad earns about £1400 per month. I completed the forms for tax credits and we don't qualify because we earned over the threshold for that year (£625 per month for me at the time). We didn't qualify for the sure start grant either as we didn't get any other assistance so basically we get £20 a week child benefit, that's it.

[Cyclone]

The conservatives would like us to believe that they support 'family values'. What they really stand for is wealth and privilege for their own families, whilst the rest of us toil and struggle to make ends meet.

 

In spite of clear evidence from mental health and social research that children need parents, and do better when there is a consistent, nurturing home environment, the tories tell us that mothers should 'do the right thing' and go to work.

 

What the tories cannot answer is the question – 'What work?'

 

There is a very high level of unemployment today in Britain. And if a mother of young children is lucky enough to find a job opportunity, the work is likely to be low paid, flexible (meaning evening and weekend, or early morning hours) and exhausting.

 

Maternity leave is just a start. Children need a loving and caring environment. And this is critical, not just in the first months after a baby is born, but during the first three years of life. So, if you are a mum or a dad, and you decide that one of you should be at home to provide a positive and nurturing environment, then that is indeed the truly correct thing to do.

 

'Freedom and choice'. That is the neoliberal mantra. But the tories don't like people to choose to stay at home to look after their children, and there is little freedom on offer for ordinary people.

 

Families should be allowed to make their own choices when it comes to parenting, being there for a toddler, how to arrange home life, who might work and who may stay at home.

 

This government is scapegoating the poorest and most vulnerable in society whilst they continue to support a corporate sector that is driving down wages, demanding ever greater 'flexibility' from its front line staff, making high profits and using tax havens in ordedr to avoid their social responsibilities..

 

I completely support the right of families to organise themselves as they see fit.

So long as they don't expect the state to pay then whether a parent stays at home or not is nobodies business but their own.

[alchresearch]

Ditto. When I was young my mum stayed at home, my dad brought in the money and we didn't claim for anything (could you back in the early 70's?)

 

And when my daughter was born in 2005 I gave up work to stay at home and look after her because my OH earned a higher wage. Again, I didn't claim anything, nor even bothered to look if I could claim.

[CatsEyes84]

I contributed to the system for over 25 years before having our daughter, her dad earns about £1400 per month. I completed the forms for tax credits and we don't qualify because we earned over the threshold for that year (£625 per month for me at the time). We didn't qualify for the sure start grant either as we didn't get any other assistance so basically we get £20 a week child benefit, that's it.

 

Oh my god thats bad, the system is all wrong in my opinion those who have contributed like yourself like you say for 25 years should be entitled as it should be what you have paid in you get back in help should you choose to have a family when they pay out to people who have paid in very little or not paid in ever but they have no chooice in doing this because that person has children it is all wrong it gets my goat its just unfair. I just don't understand how they determine who is eligible and who is not as Working Tax Credit if you have never worked you would not be entitled but is seems to me Child Tax Credit is not means tested in the same way as anybody is entitled to that no matter whether they have been permanently unemployed as some have or worked the whole thing just confuses me.

 

The problem with the Tax Credits Child especially the line is blurred isn't it? with Working Tax Credits it is clearer what you should be entitled to and who should be entitled to it that is what confuses people I think.

[pottedplant]

I absolutely agree. I have two primary aged kids the youngest just off to school and I am volunteering for two days to try and re-train. Fitting a part time job around this is just becoming a nightmare!! Every part time job is a few hours on every day either mon to fri or seven days... I can't temp because childminders want contracts from you that mean even if your not working that week or day they still want paying. I am restricted by pick up and drop off times. What we need are longer school hours and part time jobs that are on three days of the week and not spread out over the whole week so you have no choice but to do a low paid job that will never get you out of the low paid employment trap.

 

Disagree completely - kids are under too much pressure re school as it is.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2013 at 18:59 ----------

 

The school hours are quite an obstacle for working parents I agree. Not sure what the perfect solution is as longer hours would possibly be too much for the kids I think. But yes, the issue is that they start before or on par with many people's start time, and home time is well before most people would finish work.

Im lucky as a have a fabulous mum who only lives 5 mins drive away who covers the school run for us on the 3 days I work (I have to leave the house at 7 then don't get back until 5) but without her we'd be looking at expensive child care costs.

 

Most childminders in Yorkshire only charge £3.50 ish an hour - really not that exorbitant and the costs are not forever.

[Grenoside123]

Disagree completely - kids are under too much pressure re school as it is.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2013 at 18:59 ----------

 

 

Most childminders in Yorkshire only charge £3.50 ish an hour - really not that exorbitant and the costs are not forever.

 

That all depends on how much disposable income you have. Based on £3.50 per hour, for us that would be £42 per week. After all our household bills have been paid were on average left with approx £180 per week. Out of that we have to pay for food, petrol (which alone is £40 per week for us living quite a distance away from our works), school costs such as trips, clubs etc, clothing for the 3 of us, any birthdays that may be in the month etc. So when you way it up, it is rather exorbitant for us.

[shells2909]

Our daughter is nearly 5 months old, my maternity leave runs out in may. I can't afford to go back to work as we can't afford childcare and the government have decided that OH earns too much money for us to qualify for any assistance. Besides, I didn't have my little miracle in order to shut her away in a nursery with someone else seeing her milestones and teaching her to speak. My job (full time, no holidays, no sick pay, 24/7) is mummy and it's the most important thing I will ever do so we will struggle, but we will get by and we will have a happy, well adjusted daughter to show for it all.

 

Some of us don't have a choice but to miss some of our childrens milestones unfortunately

[pottedplant]

That all depends on how much disposable income you have. Based on £3.50 per hour, for us that would be £42 per week. After all our household bills have been paid were on average left with approx £180 per week. Out of that we have to pay for food, petrol (which is £40 per week for us), school costs such as trips, clubs etc, clothing for the 3 of us, any birthdays that may be in the month etc. So when you way it up, it is rather exorbitant for us.

 

I do understand - have four and been a working parent since they were littlies. Was trying , not very well granted, to say that £3.50 is not that great an expense compared to some other expenditure (in your own scenerio it is the same as your petrol for instance but do people ever ask for specific help with petrol costs?).

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2013 at 19:51 ----------

 

Some of us don't have a choice but to miss some of our childrens milestones unfortunately

 

Agreed.

 

I did find the post you quoted to be quite contrary to be honest - mentions not being able to afford to go to work first (and have clearly investigated that with reference to trying to claim tax credits etc ) before the unnecessary "shutting away in nurseries" comment.

 

Am sure you care just as much for your own child/children as that "mummy" does - and by working are installing a good work ethic.

[Grenoside123]

The whole county have been asking the government for help with the ever increasing cost of petrol!!!