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Original poster

Christina Odone on Today this morning.

65 replies

OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 12:44

Nothing like a good old fume and shout with your toast.

Please could someone answer the question that she failed to - how does giving help and choice to working mothers, take anything away from those who choose not to work?

Because I'm buggered if I can work it out.

OP posts:
Kathyis12feethighandbites · 09/10/2009 12:48

Maybe it makes them feel bad?
I don't think my blood pressure would stand Cristina Odone in the mornings.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 12:49

Beleive me I didn't think mine would.

OP posts:
AvengingGerbil · 09/10/2009 12:52

Was she the one who said in the most patronizing voice ever to Harriet Harman 'Don't be patronizing'? And who said that 'real women' were not identified by their working lives? I had to leave the room.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 12:54

yep gerbil that was the one.

I'll tell DH that I'm not a real woman next time he starts making suggestions

OP posts:
preciouslillywhite · 09/10/2009 12:55

I couldn't hear much of it over dcs shouting and dogs whining but heard enough to work out that she was chatting shit

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 09/10/2009 12:56

I love the irony when female journos slag off working women despite the fact that they are, themselves, working women.

seeker · 09/10/2009 13:00

The next person who tells me either indirectly or indirectly that I am 'not a real woman" or that I 'don't contribute to society" because I don't work outside the home will discover how handwashing tiny garments in the brook has honed my biceps!

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 09/10/2009 13:04

LOL @ washing tiny garments in the brook!

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 13:06

Hey seeker, if you went out to work you could afford a washing machine

OP posts:
Kathyis12feethighandbites · 09/10/2009 13:29

Yeah but she wouldn't be such a real woman if she used a machine

BonsoirAnna · 09/10/2009 13:38

To answer the OP - if WOHM are offered help and choice, so should SAHMs be offered help and choice. It is unfair for the taxpayer to offer childcare assistance to WOHMs and not to SAHMs. That is the point.

Here in France there are haltes garderies (what the English call creches, confusingly) that offer relief childcare to (mainly) SAHMs.

TheCrackFox · 09/10/2009 13:41

Seriously wishing I live in France now. Harrumph.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 13:42

Hmm maybe anna. But even if you think it's unfair it doesn't take anything away from SAHMs does it. It doesn't make their lives more difficult or prevent them choosing to SAH.

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 09/10/2009 13:50

If you make the lives of WOHMs easier, you make the lives of SAHMs harder by comparison. Don't you? I think that is the point. And, as we all know from the numerous threads on MN, many SAHMs are not SAHMs through choice because they cannot meet the costs of childcare. Don't they deserve a break once in a while?

Haltes garderies type childcare is pretty cheap to fund, anyway, as it doesn't aim to develop children (it isn't nursery care), just to babysit them for a short while in a collective setting.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 13:54

No I don't see that at all. If you are happy with your choice why would making life easier for others bother you. And those who dont feel they have any choice but to stay at home in theory would be helped by moves to make childcare easier to obtain and cheaper.

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 09/10/2009 16:47

I think you are being very obtuse . People always compare their lot to others. And it is quite, quite wrong, IMO, to single out WOHMs for help. All mothers need help.

Katisha · 09/10/2009 16:50

One thing to remember Anna is that we would never get simple creche-type childcare paid for by the state here. It would be all about development and curricula and would be Ofstedded within an inch of its life...

Original poster
OrmIrian · 09/10/2009 16:58

I must be obtuse then.

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 09/10/2009 16:59

Maybe - obviously France does spend more on early years than the UK does, and there is more variety of state-organised and state-subsidised childcare on offer, and different tax breaks for families.

Katisha · 09/10/2009 16:59

Like the angle!

juuule · 09/10/2009 17:41

Ormirian. How about if the help was aimed at sahm? If wohm are happy with their choice why would making life easier for others bother them? And those who dont feel they have any choice but to go out to work in theory they would be helped by moves to make things easier to sah.

If I was being cynical I might think that it isn't really about helping wohm or sahm, it's more about helping those who would make things better for those in power

Litchick · 09/10/2009 17:51

I work from home and I don't use childcare but I can only applaud at any help being given to those who want to work and need childcare. This is the major stumbling block for so many women no?
How as women, can we begrudge other women getting help?
Is it a case of if I can';t have it nor can you?
Come on, we are all in this together for our daughters sake.

BonsoirAnna · 09/10/2009 17:52

I sincerely hope my daughter will not live in a society where she is forced willy-nilly into the work place, and her children into childcare. But I fear the worst.

Litchick · 09/10/2009 17:59

I sincerely hope my daughter has a choice and that proper help with child care is part of that choice.

shabbytabby · 09/10/2009 18:35

I'm in the middle of reading her cps paper. Here's the link if anyone's interested:
www.cps.org.uk/cps_catalog/what%20women%20want.pdf

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