Sunday Times article about working women by India Knight.........

[ssd]

Did you read it and if you did what did you think?

FWIW I agree with her, will probably be stoned now.

yes WS if you would

I have set me time -- like now when ds2 is at nursery

am doing very little this week except MN ands feeling sorry for myself as have a scalded foot

how do you have 'not quality' time? Is this where you are shouting 'eat your tea, and stop kicking the dog'?

Sorry, but HSC I meant harpsichordcarrier. And I think once you have a family, time alone should be seen as a very desirable thing, occasionally! Why should it be a privilege any more than anything else?

there is a difference between a right and something that is desirable

I think it's dangerous to see time by oneself as a privilege, not a right. Yes, dangerous.

Personally, 'bathroom break' gives me the heebie jeebies. Don't like quality time or family time much either. But that word time sort of sums up what it's all about quite unambiguously, I think.

a right denotes that it should come at the expense of others

I don't believe that (except on special occasions like birthdays)

yes wordsmith I know you did
I think there is a certain amount of compromise and balance needed to run family life smoothly, which means that time is limited and time alone must be negotiated with otehrs in the family and balanced with other needs and soemtimes sacrificed.
that's it really.

No, surely it doesn't. Are the basic rights to food and shelter, then, always to be won at the expense of others?

Harpsi - we think as one.

Enid - what about 'with rights come responsibilities'? I have never heard it said that rights always come at the expense of others - where did that come from?

ok I am talking bollocks

I like a bit of time off as much as the next person

but I have it in the evening when the dds are in bed

and next weekend when I am flouncing up to London to frequent restaurants and spas with my best friend and no children

am shameless hypocrite

Oh Enid, I'm disappointed. You are human after all!

Must go now to book the spa break DH bought me for Christmas!

I'd just settle for privacy in the toilet tbh. Work has unisex loos (just wrong) and DS is obsessed with toilets these days. What does a girl have to do to get to pee in peace?

Message withdrawn

I hate that "you only have rights if you're responsible" crap.

And I hate "quality time". It implies that all other time is "crap time".

Message withdrawn

Caligula, I think the idea is, you have rights and responsibilities and both balance each other. It's not a trade-off.

I think rights are rights and responsibilities are responsibilities.

The two are separate.

You have the responsibility not to blow anyone up, but you also have the right not to be tortured. It's such a dangerous idea that if you do are suspected of blowing someone up, you've lost your right not to be tortured.

Sorry, completely off topic.

No, babies don't have any responsibilities. But they do have rights.

I have no idea what quality time is. It's probably different for each person.

look everyone you MAY go to the spa
that is not the point
just don't call it me time OK???
and do NOT say "I neeeeeeed my meeeeeeeeeeeeeeetime" because you WILL HAVE TO SIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS UNTIL YOU CAN BEHAVE OK???