If you are fed up of the WOHM vs SAHM debate (I know I am) DO NOT open the News Review bit of the Sunday Times....

[foxinsocks]

just don't do it

Missed the bit were she was a proper journalist and checked that this woman didn't work. Working people have holidays and can catch trains (isn't it half term in the UK?)

All children are vile on long journeys (or appear vile to people with no children), I'm amazed the mother held out on the DVD player for so long and didn't pack 2.

What a insane article!

"We all need to justify our existence somehow."...Since the main aim of raising children is to teach them autonomy". Loopy.

I didn't get the "Because between them those perfect stay-at-home mothers are producing a generation of useless monsters" comment. She makes it sound like SAHM are some kind of generational phenomina. Considering most mums have been SAHM's (in this country at least), culturally, for the last, oh I don't know, 800 years and working mothers have only become a cultural norm in relatively recent history, that is a really bizarre thing to write.

what a unbalanced rubbish article.. ah well.

We had better be careful not to disagree too much.. she might sue mn

frankly she should be grateful to the family. as it sounds to me as though she was short of ideas for her column - they must have actually been a godsend. Perhaps she should donate her fee to them

I agree with EIS - where do I sign up to earn money like this?

The Christchurch Press has been known to print articles every bit as pointless - look out for Bec Eleven.

Ahhh, I reckon she's jealous!

Now now ladies - she probably wasn't breastfed.

[I'm JOKING, don't shoot! ]

Wow! Even as a mother who works full time (and therefore not a full time mother) I can see this woman has issues.

It's down to personal preference and what you feel is best for whatever reason. There will always be a new survey out every few weeks or so about the untold damage we're doing to our children by doing this or not doing this or by doing that or not doing that and the so called experts seem to change their mind as often as their underwear.

Just do what you feel is right and take advice from people you trust.

Oh dear - she must have been having a brain fart and couldn't think of anything else to write about .

Read this too and was a bit shocked by (a) the vitriole aimed at one poor woman trying to keep children amused on very long train journey (b) turning it into a rant against SAHMs. Where was the evidence and research? Can't she find something PROPER to write about? Comparing this article with the fab thought provoking article comparing childbirth in Sweden and Niger, Daisy Waugh should be ashamed of publishing such drivel.

Wow. what a rant that was. couldn't help wondering what she would have said if the children had been chomping on sweets and running around all over the place.

Why the desire to split SAHMs and WOHMs?

I have been both at various times and would probably take such a bag with me. Surely just planning and foresight?

Don't take offence SAHMs. Remember 'latch key kids'? It is just pointless posturing.

likewise I've been both, currently SAHM but only since Sept and although I usually aim to get out of the house with nothing more than some money and my keys, on a long train journey I can't imagine anyone taking nothing with them whether its a laptop to sepnd the entire journey working or a novel or some activities to keep the kids entertained. As has already been pointed out she'd have been condemned had the kids been running riot! BTW my DTs, nearly 3, put their own washing in the basket, get their bowls, plates, cutlery, cereal out themselves, put them in dishwasher, help me do washing etc...

I'm happy if I get out the door and remember to take the kids with me.

Actually I thought her description of the SAHM's priorities sounded much the same as mine. And I am a bout as dedicated to the WOHM camp as you can get.

Although I must admit DD has recently taking to asking me not to go to work in the mornings which does make me feel bad. But, she comes round when I tell her that if I don't go work she can't have any more new shoes.

I'm a working mum and I'm far more likely to have a big bag of stuff and be indulgently over parenting my children when I'm with them in order to assuage my guilt at not being with the 24/7. Can't win can you

Oh, and I buy my carrots already prepared in a nice little bag at boots.

I agree with everything she says. I'm a working mum, my 13yr old is a latchkey kid who I haven't actually seen since last week, I feed 'em both on e-numbers and my 3 year old will be getting the shopping in for me as soon as he can negotiate the A-road in front of our house....

God, not only is it lazy, stupid, dumbed-down jounalism, but it really makes Daisy Waugh look like a very nasty woman.

She should be ashamed of herself writing crap like this. But I expect she isn't. I can't see how she hopes to look like a credible journalist though, you would think that people who thought like this would keep their thoughts out of print just for the sake of their career, wouldn't you?

I know SAHM is an acronym for 'stay at home mum' but what is WOHM??

Made me feel quite sad actually. I'm sure she's just writing those things to get a debate going but her last comment stating that working mothers are doing a better job than SAHM was just ridiculous. There are good SAHM and good WOHM equally there are bad ones in each category too. She was making sweeping generalisations because she was stuck next to a poor woman trying to keep her kids amused on a long train journey.

WOHM = Work Outside the Home Mum

Thank you Boowila!

Maybe she is having a mid-life crisis. According to google, she's 40 next year... The grand daughter of Evelyn Waugh, and she has mostly written what looks like fairly trashy chick-lit, the likes of which I am not tempted to pick up, even if I am a fluffy SAHM. Vile Bodies anyone?

What is a full-time mother then? I assumed that I was until I read this. Do I stop being a mother when I'm out at work?

As a working parent I can proudly assert that my eldest doesn't put his plate in the dishwasher either!

Oh, that's great news. You mean I can do this job part time? Oh wait, that's a "dad".

She is vile! A right old cow, who can't write, uses her family connections to get book deals and get's her stupid face in Hello! magazine.