SamCam giving up her job....

[DecorHate]

What do you think - letting the side down or a sensible approach?

whose side am I letting down by working part-time?

Toccata and Pagwatch - agree with you totally.

I don't envy her at all - god, she's only just walked into downing street and here we are analysing her every item of clothing/shoes/action.

Let her do whatever she wants fgs.

Personally I woul work FT to keep well away from the microscopic scrutiny that being a PMs wife would bring, but to be honest, she will have 3 young kids and a huge role as the PM's wife, I don't blame her at all for giving up.

I think that the PM's wife should have a more defined (and remunerated) role now. I think Sarah B changed the way we viewed PM's wives by the work that she did. It would be a good thing if Sam C carried on in the same vein, and I imagine she would.

She seems like a good egg really. Good luck to the woman whatever she does. Because christ what a godforsaken role it is imo. Everything she does will be analysed in forensic detail.

absolutely, i think that 'first wives/husbands' should be officially recognised..they do enough public appearances/work and none of them seem to welsh on that imo.

it's tricky cause we don't elect them, but there should be more scope for officialising (bushism there sorry) their role imo

They aren't first ladies (gentlemen) because the PM is not head of state - that's the Queen. Thank heavens, Blair and Thatch were far too puffed up with their own importance anyway, God alone knows how even more over-mighty they would have got as heads of state.

I expect SamCam is pretty torn. I feel sorry for her having to move into Downing Street from her lovely own home, and sorry for her giving up her very glamorous, breadwinning career. But she will get to enjoy her children and be there for them as DC is going to be immensely busy.

I think this is just a case of not being able to "have it all" simultaneously.

I'm quite surprised by the assumption that because the Camerons have money her job was some sort of pretend occupation.

By all accounts Smythsons has had a pretty dramatic turnaraound in the last decade. They've expanded their ranges and cultivated a new customer base. A lot of that must be down to whoever developed their product lines, and this is what a creative director does.

Perhaps the Camerons and their families have money precisely because they are the sort of people to do well in business? Just a thought.

Patronising twaddle to refer to her position as a "'job'" IMO. I'd be furious if I gave up my job to spend time with my kids and someone suggested I'd only been pretending at working anyway.

Blimey, judgey judgey judge. Her husband has just been made PM, that's going to have one hell of an impact on family life. I'd quit to make sure the kids' lives were a bit more stable under those circumstances. She has got a rotten job ahead of her, being thrown to the wolves you lot. He signed up for it, she just married him. But of course he's a Tory, which is a sin on here, I keep forgetting.

Quite, Rockbird.

agree Hali - I was @ the "job" comments - and I don't even have a "proper" job.........unlike a Creative Director my role as "Director" of music is a souped up job title (not one I gave myself but I use it on occasions with certain people who I want to rile ) - I'm really just a bog standard church organist

hey Rockbird - I'm no Tory supporter (despite how I voted in this elections)!!

Sorry I expect this has been said, but she has been pregnant with a third child before, and then one of her children was severely disabled, and she didn't give up work then.

But bloody hell, if my DH became Prime Minister I'd want to go on all the Foreign Trips with him, meet the Obamas etc, and not sit around pretending to design poncy handbags.

She's on her 4th pregnancy. Hardly a surprise she's cutting back on her hours. This attitude annoys me a bit really. After all, if SamCam is 'letting the side down' working part time what are the rest of us 'non-working' mothers doing?

I don't know a huge amount abut it, but I think that Smythson has gone from a fusty old aristocratic writing paper company to a hugely desirable brand which has diversified and has been very successful in doing so. I imagine Sam C was instrumental in that as her role of Creative Director. So don't think it is justified to take the piss out of her job and imply that it is not a proper job. She is evidently very good at what she does.

I think it is a sensible decision and probably the one that is best right for them as a family right now.

She is fortunate to be in a position where she can become a SAHM for a while.

She can always return in the future should she wish. And she is still keeping her skills up by remaining as a consultant.

I would be doing the same in her position I believe.

it may be sensible but she didn't do it when she had 3 children did she?

Obviously the decision is something to do with the new job her husband has rather than something to do with the new child she will have.

it's up to her though.

Of course I wouldn't have a clue if role was to expand contacts for company or direct design (prob both).

But I'm sure the contacts SC is about to make would put her in a fantastic position to go back. Any company would be mad not to take her as CD. So I don't think it will hurt the career.

"She's done (apparantly) a bloody good job in her role for the last few years and is clearly respected in the luxury goods industry."

Of course she is respected.....how many of us would have gone on to look at the Smythson website if she didn't work for them. (Whether her job is "real" or not) It is priceless publicity for a fusty old brand.

Does it really matter if she works? As long as her old man bloody does!

DF - I don't think you can make that assumption. They must all still be grieving hugely for Ivan, and a new baby is going to bring all sorts of emotions to the fore - for her and David and also for the other children. Perhaps she just wants more time to process that?

I am disgusted by some of the comments on here, we women really are our own worst enemies.

what assumption?

It's clear she didn't give up her job when she had 3 children but that she is now when she is still going to have 3 children.
I was just trying to say that it is wrong to assume she's doing it because she's going to have 3 kids soon.

'Obviously the decision is something to do with the new job her husband has rather than something to do with the new child she will have'

this assumption.

Yes she is still going to have 3 children, but leaving her husband's new job to one side, the circumstances are different.

She was the main breadwinner for all the years her husband was "just an MP" - now he's had a nice big pay-rise (and will presumably be working a lot longer hours), why shouldn't she cut back her work to spend more time with the kids?