Article about Stay-at-home-mums in the Sunday Times today - what did you think?

[emkaren]

Hi! I'm new-ish to Mumsnet, have only posted twice before, but today I read this article in the Sunday Times which really made me angry, and I was wondering if anyone else had seen it and what you thought. Basically the author went on in a VERY unkind way about stay-at-home mothers and how they might enjoy their existence now while their children are young, but will regret it later. Which is a fair point and something I do worry about sometimes, but what I didn't like was that she made it sound as if all SAHM's had husbands who are loaded, so that they drive around in their 4X4's, see their personal trainer every day and pop out to lunch all the time, not really bothering with the children at all, only 'using their fertility as an excuse' (this line actually ended the article). I mean, where does she live - what planet is she on? I am a SAHM and several of my friends are as well, but we are by no means rich and the reason we're at home is that at the moment we very much enjoy being with the children, more than being at work anyway, and we can just about afford to live on one income, so we're lucky that way - but this might change tomorrow or next year and then my decision might change - I don't know. But why write such a hostile article about SAHM's? Am I the exception, and most SAHM's are just using their children as an excuse to be a bit of a parasite? Find that hard to imagine!
Anyway, what did you think?
Oh, here's the link by the way, only I can't do it properly yet, sorry!
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-841478,00.html

Oh Lordy Loo, no didn't mean to offend. F/t work not easy in any way of course, but mine is a jammy job as well.(Jammyjobs.com) Doesn't mean I don't have bad days and getting out the house is a nightmare. I couldn't afford to give up altogether even if I wanted to...would have to give up gym/health spa membership :0

Hey man, you just have to do what works for you. What annoys me is these stupid woman writing in the press about the lives of other pple when they haven't a notion

Lilysmum,
no offence taken. I know these things very much depend on individual circumstances.
Agree totally with what you're saying about the media. Why is it that women, no matter what they do, get a much harder time of it in the media than men. Possibily because most journalists, male and female (oops being contraversial again) are misogynists?
Also agree with your P.S., all mums deserve a medal. I'm sure I read somewhere that in France when you had your third or fourth child you got a medal and a cash sum. Wouldn't that be nice...

Oooh yes and am crap at smileys as well.How do you do that then? ?

Just read it & to be fair I don't think she was talking about normal people!

There were an awful lot of these mummies at my DS2's private primary school. All very new money with rich husbands, all doing lunch & the gym... couldn't stand them!!!

I do find this SAHM vs Working Mums argument very tedious. We are all doing what we need to do in our own individual circumstances. I work full time, not because I have a burning desire to further my career but because if I didn't we'd be living in a shed somewhere. Seriously. I do feel my children have missed out, and are missing out, by having a mother who isn't available & is so tired when she comes home from work that frankly doesn't have time for them. Especially when I only have the weekend to do the laundry for 6 people & the shopping etc etc. I am very jealous of my bf whose DH earns enough to keep them so she can be a SAHM... I wish I'd thought a bit harder before I got married..

HOWEVER, I wouldn't dream of saying that someone else was a better or worse parent/person because they work/stay at home. TBH it's no-one else's business!!