40 Reasons not to have children - book

[Judy1234]

Description of a book in the Sunday Times from France which is interesting - 40 reasons not to have children.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2042068.ece

Yes, I know quite a lot of families around here who have a full-time live-in nounou - it's a way of buying their freedom even when they are parents to young children.

My partner's ex has absolutely no qualms about using other people to babysit her sons whenever it suits her - the latest proposal (quickly squashed by me) was that I might like to take care of my stepsons for six weeks while she does a (totally optional) professional training course . She finds it very hard to grasp that my partner and I aren't at her disposal to take care of the boys when she feels like it.

sparkles - yes, but you do need to be French - it's all about services to La République.

But Anna, could it be that as the ex is the custodial parent that she is looking for a much-needed break from the kids?

I don't know the situation, obviously, but just wondering.

ah well never mind maybe the kids can make me one instead

expat - she has a full-time live-in nounou paid for by my partner; she works a four day week; my partner's parents do all the childcare/chauffeuring on Wednesdays (school day off) for the boys; they are with us half the time (less during term-time, more during holidays) and she definitely wants the boys resident with her - we wanted 50:50 but financially for her it was better to opt for them being officially resident with her.

Wow! She's got the life of Riley.

What is she doing when she swans off?

She wants to go to Insead to do an advanced management programme. If she thinks I'm going to cook, clean and babysit to allow her to do that...

Yes, she has the life of Riley. You are quite right.

Only had a quick read. Sometimes I think the most guaranteed way of writing a bestseller is to write that having children isn't great. Something like "Mothers are stupid" would probably go straight to the top of the list. The sequel could be "Mothers are uglier than non mothers." You could probably produce an entire franchise based on generalisations, personal experience and some half baked statistics and pop psychology.