to feel sorry for Amanda Holden re her article about Mumsnet

[GrowSomeCress]

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2305111/Why-I-hate-negative-judgmental-Mumsnet--Amanda-Holden-Britains-Got-Talent-star-accuses-site-fuelling-mothers-guilt.html

Seems to be newly posted.

I think sometimes it's forgotten that famous people are actually real people with genuine feelings.

Don't agree with her about mumsnet just being negative and judgemental all the time though, really excellent support available on here.

Llamas are the latest in thing to guard sleep and chickens apparently. You don't mess with Llamas. Plus their wool makes good yarn. I think they might actually be worth the investment. For your hobby small holding in the country, of course

MrsDeVere - I wondered about the Aspergers thing myself. I have an Aspie too. He is lovely but he does spout streams of nonsense at times and definitely finds listening a challenge when he is off on one of his monologues.

Bigbooby it was me who used the term housewife to describe myself during the happiest periods of my life, it was not derogatory at all. Was a wife whose life resolved around creating a home for my husband and children.

No one has yet said how you can be a housewife if you don't have a DH.
I read Xenia's last post twice and still can't make sense of it!

I think that is a fairpoint exotic, I was just using the term about me and I was married and my sphere was a domestic one

Xenia - you are mad as a box of frogs, really.

Amazingly to some on this thread a lot of people find me extremely helpful. Some even pay for mentoring and you lot get it free. Lucky you.

I must get to bed.

Is your mentoring business called 'I Saw You Coming' Xenia?

If nothing else, your posts do give me food for thought. Sometimes that food is Pot Noodle, but still, food for thought...

I think it worth paying you for the comic factor Xenia! I would certainly miss you if you didn't come up with your usual advice on these threads.

(Still puzzling over the llamas)

I wouldn't call it a business. I have sometimes been asked for help and been paid. By huge coincidence I was looking into a mentoring company last night for someone to do with work.

Llamas are lovely. They can be the talk of middle class dinner parties. I remember one as I type. The llama owner concerned was not making money from them but they could be a fun hobby. Keeping animals is pretty hard work as I remember from our rabbit breeding days, although very cute.

Pot noodles are swimming before my eyes Xenia

I was once asked to break in a llama

You won't get much yarn off a balding Tibetan man. Believe me I've tried. Alpacas are the way to go if you want soft luxurious yarn ...

Here is yet more evidence you are best leaning in and taking short maternity leaves: Today's newspaper

"Women lose confidence about going back to work 11 months after giving birth, according to research.

Until that point women on maternity leave still felt attached to their former working lives. But around the 11-month mark they started to doubt that they could cut it in the professional world again.

Lengthy maternity leave is a relatively recent phenomenon. Until a decade ago, six months was the norm but now a year is common. Reforms to maternity leave and pay has entitled mothers to take more time off and on more generous rates of pay. However, the study suggests that it makes re-entry to the workplace more difficult.

The study of 2,000 women also found that eight out of ten new mothers felt unchallenged and lonely. The study, by the Association of Accounting Technicians, also found many of the women feared they would not be taken seriously in their former industry when they returned.

Jane Scott Paul, chief executive of AAT, said: ?It?s only natural that as our families grow our daily routines and priorities change but this doesn?t necessarily mean that one?s career should be negatively affected or sacrificed. While some mums may [choose to stop work], we need to ensure those who want to return to the workforce can do so with confidence.?

Nearly half of the mothers who were currently working felt their new job was a little beneath them and failing to develop them at all professionally".

It depends on your sample Xenia- you can easily find the exact opposite if you wanted to. People start with a pen agenda.
I had 5 years off the first time, I was never lonely- I was out everyday - there are lots of challenges if you find them and take them on- you just don't get paid. I just slotted back into work.
The second time I had time off education had changed a lot but I just did a free 'get back to teaching course' and went into my local primary school for a bit of practice and it was as if I hadn't left.
If you didn't want to give up work and hated being at home then you will be like the study. If you adored being at home and were keen to embrace a new challenge at the end of it ( having learned new skills when at home, chairing committees etc) then it will be fine.
It is all to do with attitude and personality.

Sorry, my iPad has a mind of it's own- don't know where the pen came from! Also I went into school to practise.

MrsD hope I didn't come across as preachy in my post.

I was in hospital and feeling a bit raw and down.

You also sound like you deal with buckets full of crap, and keep a job. I'm in awe actually.

And lack of confidence doesn't mean you need not to go back.

People have confidence dips in lots of things you simply need to overcome those short periods.

I suspect a lot of confidence dips are because there is buggar all support for mothers returning to work and mothers worry about their children- inflexible companies,few part time jobs and no flexi hours.If you had more of the above and you knew such support would help you and your family you wouldn't have such a dip in confidence.

I suspect the dip is more to do with balancing a job and children,most people I know want the best for both and worry that they will be able to produce that with very little support.

When I go back I'll probably go for a TA job as it'll fit in with my life,I know I'd be good at it and I'd enjoy it.

Yes qualification wise it'll be beneath me but for me it'll be perfect.

Getting back to my hard faced ole self!

I thought it was the drugs in hospital when the subject changed to Llamas!

Thanks for asking.

The llamas were true.

I cannot see prices on this site www.watertownllamas.co.uk/forsale.htm but I have not been looking too hard.

Alpacas - about £2200.
www.sereno-alpacas.co.uk/16.html

My SIL did just what you are proposing Squarepebbles. She went back into teaching as a TA. She started off having responsibility for one SEN child and has slowly expanded her hours as her boys have got older but she can't see herself ever going back into the classroom because she loves doing the teaching and at the same time having no responsibility for the paperwork. I am sure school would be happy to employ you for your skills so long as you are happy to trade salary for less paperwork. If everybody is happy it is a win win really. I don't think it has particularly affected her standing with her colleagues either, as they know she is a qualified teacher and are happy to let her do more than the average TA so the qualification isn't wasted.