to be annoyed that dh will not let me have the gorgeous Mercedes car that is parked outside our house?

[oliveoil]

He claims it is for a client!

Client my arse, where are his priorities fgs, I have given him 2 children had my stomach slashed and my nethers stitched and what thanks do I get?

Do you think divorce is too harsh or just separate for a while?

TIA

[FloriaTosca]

This thread has had me in stitches until recently..I'd be happy to help it get back on track particularly as I'd like an SLK,(that is the one with no boot space when the roof is down, isnt it?) Whichever combination of letters the 2 seater sports Merc is;they are luuuurverly!The big hairy dog could fit in the passenger well and DH could have the passenger seat (or the other way round)until the baby arrives then one of them will just have to balance on the boot or run behind...Its the getting him to buy it for me that is the problem.... pole dancing in AP underwear with 6 month preggie belly covered in multicoloured bruises from the heparin injections just doesnt cut the mustard (well, not at least with my DH!)
Oh well, off to the practical Picasso I go.

[Highlander]

my friend bought a whopping Merc hatchback-looks like an estate thing when she went back to work. Not normally my thing at all, but up close it is lurvely.

[2Cute]

Back to the original car discussion before it was turned into a slagging session against SAHMs.

Olive - Not keen on the A class meself, but Mercs are fab. I used to think "yeh whatever, can't understand the fascination" until I test drove one. Ended up buying a gorgeous C class for DH's 30th birthday present (I know, what a bitch I must be to exploit him in such a way or is it ok because I'm a woman and the prejudice is only against men buying for women?? I'm confused )

[paulaplumpbottom]

How on earth did this thread turn into HM debate???????

[muppetgirl]

could even

[muppetgirl]

You cold try the 4x4 thread -that's a barrel of laugh's

[Quattrocento]

LOL at OO combusting with boredom on her own thread. Please take picture and post but please also save AP underwear before you explode.

I think we should continue having the SAHM/WOHM debate on the hilariously entitled thread about what a SAHM should do to occupy herself apart from self-harming.

[oliveoil]

we are both rubbish

maybe we should ask our husbands to help out? [helpless woman]

[DrNortherner]

See? I am crap.

[DrNortherner]

_

[oliveoil]

_

[oliveoil]

you need to practice N

[dal21]

LOL OL!!! I couldnt agree more!

[DrNortherner]

See? my lines are shit.

[DrNortherner]

_

[oliveoil]

oh for gods SAKE

start a new thread!

this is mine and you are making me combust with boredom

[Anna8888]

witchandchips - all right.

But on the specific point of how we manage the economic and political transition from a one breadwinner + one homemaker model to a two breadwinner model, what do you propose we do to help families manage the fact that two breadwinners can't simultaneously be caring for the children?

At the moment, the UK government slates parents for not bringing children up properly and also expects both parents to work full time. Is this feasible?

[Anna8888]

mozhe - on the issue of children being a "lifestyle choice" - there was a fascinating article on demography in Europe in the Economist the week before last - read it and see whether you still think they are a lifestyle choice

[witchandchips]

Anna my point is that we are always in transition. While our grandmothers and mothers may have been expected to stay at home and not work, our great grandmothers would have taken in washing/worked in the fields/made match boxes etc. etc.

[Anna8888]

witchandchips - many aspects of Western societies are still designed around the one breadwinner + one homemaker model - why are school hours the way they are? In many countries things have moved forward to take account of the two breadwinner model (ie shop opening hours in UK) but it is still not fully accounted for - we are in transition.

[witchandchips]

Think the sort of "50s" family that Anna is describing is a bit of an historical anomoly and very much restricted to the urban middle classes in the 19th and 20th centurys. This is not to say that families are not best served by the division of labour that anna is talking about but that it this has not been the norm through history

[Anna8888]

mozhe - are you OK with your taxes being used to pay for childcare?

[mozhe]

I would not be happy for my taxes to be used to pay parents to stay home....it is a lifestyle choice.
Totally different for disability benebfits etc...they are not a choice and am happy to pay for that.

[Anna8888]

quattrocento - but surely marriage is a state of mutual interdependence - economic, material, emotional etc?

I would have thought the burning issue for families with small children is that we have moved in the Western world in the space of a generation from a situation where families were composed in their majority of one breadwinner and one homemaker to a situation where two breadwinners are required to ensure an acceptable standard of living. If that is the case, there is a political and economic argument for providing economic support to families with small dependent children which can be used either to purchase childcare (where both parents work outside the home) OR to compensate for loss of earnings, where one parent stays at home.

We are all used to the idea of state pensions, free healthcare, free schools etc paid for from taxation to support society and the greater good. Why not "parental support"?

[ronshar]

Barging in, I would love the new Alfa Romeo slinky sexy number. As dh points out already have 2 dds with hopefully another 2 soon! I hate it when men are sensible.
I have worked full time and then part time since becoming a mother. I am now in full time employment being what I hope is a good mother to my 2 dds.
My eldest was a sad child before she is happy now. She tells me that she hated me being at work all the time. I worked 14hour days and nights!!

If I worked full time I would still have to cook for, clean, educate my children because THATS WHAT A MOTHER IS SUPPOSED TO DO
Sorry but women who try to demean others because they cant be bothered to look after their own children get right on my nerves.