Incentives for SAHMs - anyone read Fiona Phillips today?

[bohemianbint]

Link here

I think if you can get past the slightly guilt-inducing title, what she is basically saying is quite interesting. It's the first thing I've read in a while that doesn't write SAHMs off as useless bovine idiots.

Obviously don't want to start the old fight of working vs sahm, but what do we think about some kind of incentive for mums to stay at home?

FWIW I have recently become a SAHM by accident after stupid sexist boss forced me out of my job - I am taking him to a tribunal. I am looking for work but am pregnant so not sure how that'll go down with potential employers! I'd like to work PT ideally but I feel really under pressure from everyone around me to get a job and stop being a "boring" SAHM.

Well, it all depends on how much a SAHM is paid. I very much doubt that it would ever be equivalent to a salary and it would undoubtedly be constrained in time.

What is the cost of that, relatively mediocre, monthly payment over, say, 36 months versus a child's long-term well-being and happier, less stressed families?

the sounds of screeching brakes

Hold on... there was just agreement from apparently opposing positions. Just wanted to flag that up.

eleusis - but it's all the same in the end.

If you tax the family as a single unit and the family pays less tax because of that, that means that other people who don't have that tax allowance will be paying more into the general pot.

We are talking nuances of mechanics of tax policy to make said policy more palatable.

Might as well add that I agree with blueshoes that a salary would be impractical, but a tax allowance transfer would not be and it would reflect the fact that a SAHM is just as valuable a resource for looking after children in the early years as a nursery/childminder/relative.

Nothing is there to actively encourage mothers to make that choice because it is seen as second best - you should be spending those three years improving your career and paying for expensive, government subsidised child care partly so that their employment figures can be boosted without them actually having to tackle real problems in society like long-term unemployment (which is a much bigger problem than qualified women having a career break IMO).

What I don't want to see is flat out payment to stay home. I'm happy with a tax break, but someone needs to be working/earning.

Eleusis: "I think it should be a relief on the taxes I pay out of the money I earn."

Would this mean that tax revenue would decrease (as less of yours goes to the treasury)? So to maintain tax revenue, taxes would have to increase somehow, disproportionately affecting people with no children.

Or am I barking up the wrong tree completely? I am pretty stupid about these things.

The real eye-opener on this thread is the (sometimes explicit) suggestion that all parents should work, even if they can afford not to without drawing on any state benefits. I find that rather sad. That somehow taking 5 years out to care for your own small children is in some way anti social.

I don't want a wage to do it. I don't find it hard (does that matter?). I love it, and I want to do it. I have worked, I will work again prety soon, but right now I'm not.

Anna, my work is project based. I can't move every time the project moves. And, actually it isn't that far. It's just that London has good radial trains, but if you aren't going straight in or straight out the commute is rubbish.

Oh well, if overtime continues, I might manage a new car next year.

"The real eye-opener on this thread is the (sometimes explicit) suggestion that all parents should work, even if they can afford not to without drawing on any state benefits. "

Now that came from someone other than me. I have no problem with parents staying at home if they can afford it.

Eleusis, you did say, " But, people who can go to work should."

But perhaps I'm just taking it the wrong way. And somehow invoking the spirit of Xenia

Sorry, I meant people who need the money and are capable of working.

Well, that's all right then

"a SAHM is just as valuable a resource for looking after children in the early years as a nursery/childminder/relative"

just as valuable a resource.

we live in an INSANE world.

paediatric nurse trains at uni for 3 years mimimum or is RN with post grad additional experience

Peads nurse studies anatomy, psychology, medication, child development. goes on supervised and assessed placements. after this training paed nurse must maintain competencies

SAHM requires none of these skills is unregulated, unassessed requires none of the above skills

BTW, Sophable, whilst I never agree with you, I do you are still coming to Gaucho.

Would be a very dull world if all my friends thought just like me.

And Paula, you know I love you.... right????

Eleusis hopes she has not pissed off her friends with her right wing politics.... (well, right wing for mumsnet)

I love you to my dear

i'll only know nearer the time eleusis....it's dh's birthday weekend, so depends when i get my sh(t togethr on that tbh.

i NEVER take an argument off thread btw. it stays on the thread ladies stays on the thread...no grudges here.

besides which, you're not being horrible, you're just disagreeing with me which is absolutely fine, and I agree, far preferable to dreary agreeing with everyone all the time.

good gravy, if I got snippy with everyone who ever disgreed with me on here... erm... I'd be an overly snippy poster...

ScottishMummy: Re your comments about Paed Nurse qualifications and lack of parent qualifications. Since there is some filtering process to become a nurse, or indeed any other profession, why are we allowed breed like rabbits? [screech of human rights emoticon]

I think this topic is going round and round in circles.

What is to be done about our imperfect world

i dont understand your point -sorry you lost me between rabbits and nurses!

There are many carers in society who are effectively totally unfunded.

The whole system is reliant on sahm/d, and people caring for elderly or disabled relatives.

It is fiscally impossible for these people to be remunerated for staying at home.

'Peads nurse studies anatomy, psychology, medication, child development. goes on supervised and assessed placements. after this training paed nurse must maintain competencies

SAHM requires none of these skills is unregulated, unassessed requires none of the above skills'

yet we are allowed to breed like rabbits and expect society to pick up the peices.

I expect I'm deviating. I don't think there is a right way. I do think that a lot of children are abused though and domestic violence is very common.