To think that all those generations of women who battled for equality for women have actually achieved nothing!

[flixx]

All that has changed is that women are now expected to go out and work and well as still being souly responsible for the vast majority of domestic stuff and childcare.

Womens lives aren't better or easier, infact they are now so complicated that half of us are so stressed and knackered we don't even remember who we are anymore.

The role of a mother is less valued by society than it has ever been when we all know that it truely is THE hardest job ever.

kewcumber - you obviously type faster than me!

Out of interest - if your daughters decide they don't want the life you had and want to go back to work and park your darling GC's with a scary stranger with warts on their nose and a big whip behind their back, are you going to be one of those mothers who tries to bully them into your way of thinking?

But daftpunk why would your daughters be paying someone else to raise your gcs? Wouldn't your gcs'fathers pay for childcare or is that a bridge too far?
As someone pointed out, you'd have no chance of being PM (not because of being a woman) but because you won't work outside the home...

The wrong battle is being faught. People should be allowed to be women and mothers.

Having a baby is not like skiving off to the hairdresser to have your highlights done, and should NOT be regarded as such, by men or by women.

It is the continuation of the human race. And yet, often, mothers are mocked and derided for caring for their children.

People can criticise SAHM mothers until the cows come home but unless the human race is going to die out, then women will always be at a disadvantage (slight or significant, depending on their qualifications/salary/support).

Government subsidised affordable childcare would end some of this tedious debate, where women seem to turn on eachother.

ok, maybe c/m and nannys are different, i can see that children may develope a strong bond with one adult that cares for them on a daily basis..but nurserys?..come on, staff turnover is very high, up to 15 odd children in the same room at once, probably totally confused.

Gosh, wait until you have to hand your kids over to "strange" teachers, some of them even may be (gasp) men !

daftpunk, that doesn't sound like the nursery my dd went to at all.

I think different kinds of childcare work wll for differnt children one of the tasks of a working parent is to choose the childcare that suits their child best.

So now it is Ok to go back to work if you have a nanny or CM but not if you use a nursery?

I held a similar attitude to nurseries until my last child spent a yr in one after CM retired. He had one key worker who spent lots of time with him and was his main carer. He liked her and ran to see her when we arrived in the mornings. She cried when DS#2 left.

comeon, daftpunk, you obviously haven't been anywhere other than on the schoolrun. Don't bring your misconceptions about nurseries on here as well. You are not doing your feminine self any favours.

ditheringdora, if daftpunk had her way, all those strange teachers WILL be men! Women should be at home tending after the children.

daftpunk how your grandchildren are raised is surely the choice of your children, not you?
My child is being raised by a number of people- none of whom are strangers, all of whom live close-by in our local community.

I think we can all agree that what "all those generations who battled for equality" achieved was free speech by women about what they might choose to do with their lives.

Which is surely an excellent thing. If a bit loud at times.

of course blueshoes! My likkle brain must be scrambled from having babies.

This thread seems to be a discussion of SAHM vs WOHM and not about whether we have let down the women who fought for equality. The SAH v WOH question is a personal family choice and there will also be disagreement.

I would like to suggest to you all that the bigger issue is what is happening to the next generation of girls/women who are being fed a constant diet (by media) that you should look pretty and be dumb to be popular/sucessful. Look at Paris Hilton and Britney for wonderful examples of how we have 'let down' those women who came before us. These celeb's are actually role models for our daughters. Looking pretty and acting dumb is the attitude that was prevalent regarding women when the suffergette movement began (although back then you were supposed to also have some basic life skills and common sense which these celebs are sadly missing.)

just a thought!

Anniemac, I wasn't talking about posters on this thread, I'm talking about in the public zeitgeist, the media, the general public's perception of women staying at home or working.

I think a lot has been achieved in the last few generations.. UP until 1974, married women had to resign from the banks in Ireland. DOn't know if it was similar in the UK. Women do have choices now. But with those choices come sacrafices and/or judgement.

But obviously I disagree with OP that nothing has been achieved.

But, like I said, the wrong battle is 'out there' in the media and on the tips of our tongues.

The real 'challenge' is to accept and respect that until there is some medical breakthrough it is women who give birth. Women should not be penalised financially for their part in what is quite essential and important to men too; perpetuating the human race!!

But luckily, unlike 100 yrs ago, most women's biggest difficulties would be resolved by more affordable childcare.

look, i've always tried to stay out of the sahm/wohm threads on here (believe it or not)

i didn't start this thread, i posted because it was about the feminist movement.. a very interesitng topic. i am a feminist, i believe passionately in womens rights (and anyone elses for that matter) but, my personal view is that children are better off at home with their mother, (or father) certainly in the first 3 years.

that is not a sexist comment.

i know it's hard to survive on one wage, that's why many women are forced back to work while their children are still babies..i know you can't plan everything perfectly, women do get pregnant unexpectedly, or just decide to go ahead and hope it all works out juggling work and childcare...but for alot of women that is exhausting, leading to stress and family breakdown. if they want to stay at home, i think they should be helped financially.

what is wrong with that?...apart from who'd pay for it.

kewcumber; yes, a c/m or nanny would be the childcare of my choice.