Stella Creasy think maternity leave is like retirement

[LukewarmCustard]

Are you on maternity leave, retired or otherwise unoccupied?

Whats wrong with that? Isn't maternity leave just like an extended holiday, long lie ins, coffee with other mums, walks in the park? (sarc alert)

If we didn't know better, because she never fails to remind us, you could be forgiven for thinking that Stella has never had a baby. Somone really needs to stage an intervention and take Twitter away from her before she finds herself "otherwise unoccupied".

Oh good I'm so glad I now know what to do with all the spare time I have on maternity leave.

Otherwise unoccupied. FFS

That's not what happened is it. The ad is what mentions maternity leave, she publicised a local charity looking for volunteers.

I agree the charity has it wrong but I don't think she's running to help them advertise for volunteers

Ah crap the ad has her logo on it. Yeah she got that wrong.

I wonder if the centre will have a nursery like in the Commons? Maybe if you start your maternity leave just before your due date, you can nip into the 'birthing suite' and afterwards pop back to the centre because you are unoccupied. Or better still have it at your desk and pop baby into a drawer.

Have tweeted a response. Surprised she didn't question it herself really.

She keeps getting worse and worse.

What a moron

It betrays such a crap attitude to motherhood

spending time with your baby is important. When you’re doing that, you are occupied doing something very valuable

Surely it just means people who might be looking for something to do during the week? I had loads more time to do things when I was on mat leave than now I'm back at work (off today). There may be things people can do to help with a baby in tow. Some babies are very difficult but not all are, and most have phases of both. There are also some mums who crave adult conversation that isn't about babies while on mat leave (me!), which is naturally the focus of conversation at a lot of patent and baby groups.

She just gets worse.

Meh. She, by implication, referred to maternity leave as being “unoccupied”. Which is different. So out of touch and clueless.

Unoccupied? Bloody hell.

She’s trying to pass it off. But all the other things (gardening leave, retirement etc) are examples of having loads of time on your hands because you’re not working, and maternity leave is work.

I had to google her. Typical head in the clouds labour leftie. Says it all.

Privileged, arrogant, unempathetic. Perhaps with access to staff when baby not being paraded in the H of C? The people of Walthamstow need to do something, she’s making them a laughing stock

Hang on. If you do 'work' paid or unpaid, doesn't that end your maternity leave?

Just needs to replace with SAHM/P, would cover all people sitting at home doing nothing then 😂 (sarcasm alert)

"Unoccupied". On maternity leave.

🙄

This isn't the first time she's gone public with her detachment from reality. She has quite a back catalogue of bonkers.

Bloody hell, after maternity leave, I was glad to get back to work just for the rest! Unoccupied my arse, what an offensive presumption.

Infuriating. Parenting, mothering and caring is utterly devalued, despite the wealth of research into infancy and early years suggesting early relationships impact a person's health and wellbeing for life. What the hell does Stella/the charity think childminders, nannies, nursery workers do all day then? Oh yeah, of course it can't be proper work can it, because they mostly earn peanuts.

Is there anything especially socialist about Stella's views?

I don't know why the advert needed to give us examples of why we might have the time or the inclination to get involved. We know if we have the opportunity or not.

it'shink its funny that garden leave gets a bigger billing than retirement and 'in between

Well I feel cheated. I want my ‘unoccupied’ maternity leave back as my maternity leave went by in a blur of sleeplessness, painful BREASTFEEDING, anxiety and nonstop care (with a lot of joy in there too).

But I would really like to experience this unoccupied mat leave. Can I have it now my kids are in secondary school?

Depends on the baby. With my second, it's like retirement. I watched so many netflix shows, cooking, gardening, shopping, coffee. She just sleeps and eats.

So you can leave her at home alone whilst you volunteer? I don't think you are understanding maternity leave, it is supposed to be for you to be there for your baby, not for volunteering elsewhere.