Times article ' Life is a see saw for working mums ' a book written by succesful working mother - comments please

[CaptainUnderpants]

Times article

Anyone read it ? Has this been written by a well known mumsnetter ?

I do like the bit that you and your partner must get away at least twicw a year without children for at least three nights !

Her DH is the one that has given up work !

super woman horlick who lost £21million of Bramdean portfolio.aye great role model she is.some over paid horah isnt superwoman.media creation

i woukd be super too if i had a team of staff galloping about to meet my whims and doimestic needs and a wee man in the garden

The Horlick woman lives up to her name. She sends me to sleep.

It's not a seesaw. It's a zipwire. Or possible a death slide.

And anyone who says that clearing up sick makes them feel fulfilled, obviously needs to get out more

How does she get away with it? If I cocked up like that at work I'll be gripping the rail at the Old Bailey.

she appers to be teflon, and shit flows down hill.some lower ranking bod will take the blame.but all the sheep fell for the scam

Would like to meet these people face to face and question their advice to others.
Please don't put Anthea Turner on the bonfire. I know she is silly but I love her little ideas and she does seem to want to help in a Blue Peter sort of way. I know she's one of those in Harry Enfield stretch 'I saw you coming'or' blonde of a certain age' but she makes me laugh. Oh! more comedy writing in the magazine too please.

I don't think Anthea Turner is in the same league as the other bonfireees.

ok don't shoot but I'm in PR, successful tho not a NAME, and my DH gave up work to look after our kids.

My life is nothing like hers in practice although in theory we share a lot.

I still load the dishwasher and clean and get the shopping in. I haven't had a manicure since my wedding day and DH and I go on holiday with the family. I don't gossip for hours on the phone because I'm on the phone all day at work. I don't go to book clubs because I feel that when I'm not at work its my job to be at home with the family. My friends come to us with their kids.

Personally, I think her life has more to do with lots of disposable cash than any bloody see-saw.

(haven't been on in years and the first post I see gets me all cross. Thats Mumsnet!)

At this juncture, I think we need to clarify just what is a book group.

You read a book once a month or once every six weeks or however often you want, depending on your busy busy life.

You meet with your bookish pals once a month (or 6 weeks etc etc) to eat, chat and drop in a few comments on the book.

Now, of all the hobbies and past times you could have, why exactly are people saying they are too busy for a book club? Where does family neglect come into it?

bottom line julia hobsbawn is minted lives in Highgate with the other chatterati.her pots of cash and good connections and advantages enable her to see saw as she wishes.as inevitabily she has staff, and disposable income,and advantages

the rest of us spin from one thing to another (well i do anyhoo) just about juggling

no see saw as such but plenty going arse over tit

Book Club a matter of choice. Nobody that I'm close friends with like Hiking. None of them advise me not to do it! It bizarre. I can waste all day in the hills.

i"m not saying book clubs - or time off - is bad.

For me tho if I'm going to have an evening off from bath and bed time then I would rather I used it for time alone with DH than in (what feels to me) a forced social situation.

My point is she's not a typical working mum - or PR person - and certainly not a typical working mum with a SAHD. She's right about the guilt, but then that comes from being female.

i think this guilt thing is another media myth a stick to beat women with.i am guilt free about providing the best way i can.why should i feel guilty?

hey do you think men are in work,feeling guilty.thinking it is an inevitable gender condition. i bet not

obviously i would love more disposable income and all the trappings of affluence JH describes.but hey ho who doesnt

thats interesting - maybe its my upbringing? I feel guilty when I can't be there when DS gets home from school and when I'm distracted from family because of work... and guilty about work when I'm at home because it never stops and I know the team are working when I'm not. But maybe its not guilt, maybe its better defined as responsibility.

And do men feel the same? I don't know. It used to amaze me back in the days when I was on here more how many stories I read about husbands that came home from the office and found the food on the table, clothes washed, played sport all weekend etc etc and yet every working mum I know comes home and gets on with the chores regardless of how tough her day was. Maybe you're right and its not guilt after all.

Her husband does not work - so irrelevant. Also trite and unreadable.

MN thread recently a journo sniffing around asking if we felt guilty working-resounding no or not necessarily

the presumption usually made is working mum stretched and frazzled guilty about absent lifestyle

The only time I feel guilty is when I'm wasting time on here. To tell the truth I've had some great tips and advice on this so it not too bad except those 'Do you think I'm unreasonably' threads...I should see more of my friends and DH tells me to go out but its such a fag when no one goes dancing anymore just meet up and eat!

Agree, scottishmummy.

I don't feel guilty - so shoot me. I have no time for media-conditioned self-imposed guilt.

Look at working mums keep families happy MN thread

Look at working mums keep families happy MN thread

lol, at that Guardian link to the results of the mumsnet survey. Brilliant.

Extract: "The majority of mothers feel no guilt about leaving their children to go out to work and believe their working life has improved since having children, according to a new survey."

I actually asked my DCs for feedback on whether they feel neglected because I went out to work. The response was a look of absolute puzzlement, and then a no, because you've always done it so why would it be a problem? The feeling was as long as I made it to their school events, and someone got them their tea on time, they were fine with it. They had obviously never given it any thought at all.

Imagine asking the average kid whether they feel neglected because their dad went out to work. They would probably look just as puzzled. Why do we assume the gender thing has any part to play at all?

That's interesting BM - I asked my kids and got a similarly puzzled response! They did enjoy it when I was on m/l but they also enjoy after-school club and our work days routine. The crucial thing is for you to be confident in your choices - any doubts you ahve will transmit themselves to the kids.