Please don't post here, just thank FUCK that CM/Spend Time With Your Kids More Thread is DEAD!!

[Sycamoretree]

R.I.P.

JV just remember, as a mother you will always be in the wrong

I think almost more things about children are born not made so actually most parents over exaggerate the effect they have on child outcomes - whether they work or not may not make that much of a difference but people flatter themselves by saying that it does.

I sometimes wonder if working part-time is actually the hardest of all the options available tbh (ony going by what I see from some other mums)

(not quite sure what thread this one is referring to btw)

I like part-time

I don't generally go on these threads as it hasn't been relevant to me until now, but does it ever come up that different ways suit not only different mums but also different children? I don't know if that is true but something to think about perhaps? Maybe some children thrive at nursery etc. I don't know, I'm not experienced enough.

I guess for me another salient question harking back to what Xenia said is is it better for a child to be at home with a crap SAHP or be in good childcare? If a child is at home but just plonked in front of cbeebies (no judgement having just discovered the benefits of this myself in distracting a clingy 8 mo!) or in a nursery being stimulated and having lots of company.

I'm not saying SAHP stick their child in front of the tv but if they do would the child be better of in stimulating childcare?

CAM - yes, I am thinking about getting a tattoo of 'You are a BAD mummy' somewhere highly visible.
Not for anyone elses benefit, just so I can alwats keep myself in check!

OK JV, I stand corrected. Obviously you have some sixth sense and can know how your children would be if you had brought them up a different way.... I'm happy to say that I do what I feel is best to be a good, happy and stimulated mummy so that my children will hopefully be happy and stimulated. I can't know how my kids would be if I brought them up differently - we only have one crack at it and do the best we can.
But as you say - you disagree.

i work from home so often have to plonk dd in front of cbeebies while i get on with things. she positively BEGS to go to nursery to play with her pals, the poor unstimulated creature...

Alfiesbabe - No, I don't have a sixth sense. What I have is the knowledge that I weighed up the pros and cons of my available options and chose the one that best suited me, DP and our son.

You say "I'm happy to say that I do what I feel is best to be a good, happy and stimulated mummy so that my children will hopefully be happy and stimulated." so, I think we're kind of saying the same thing, no need to be so chippy.

You've missed the bit where we're all told that we must be vehement and express our position articulately only from inner guilt.

What a great thread it was. Truely brilliant.
When's the next ? Let me know and I will book in it in my outlook.

MI, the guilt has OVERWHELMED me. You too eh ?

I know, I am of course utterly inarticulate about everything else, it's only when I have to fend off the dreadful looming vision of their wan little faces looking pathetically at the ticking clock every evening that words suddenly gush forth.

Can you let me know when the next one is too? I'll stick it in my diary. Along with a reminder not to forget to pick my kids up.

afie, sod the kids, that was the whole point, wasn't it ?
Leave them with the Cm. She won't mind. she'll prefer that to you picking them up early.