Mr Average Gets a Free House In His Lifetime That Ms Average Doesn't

neverdespairgirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never had an ounce of mothering instinct ever.

Which turned out fine as I never met a nice bloke.

I haven't either. I just treat Isaac like a person. Who happens to call me "Mummy" half the time and "Eema" the other half.

StevieJ

Pobby wrote: »

Thought the max was now 65. My sis in law is 50 and hers is 65. My wife missed out by a couple of months and has to go on to 61.

Why do you think that females will have a max of 65 when males will be 65+?

minimoocow

Cannon_Fodder wrote: »

I just really struggle with the idea that not going to work is "a backward step in the progress side of things"

Fair enough, if you have a talent that enables you to work at something you love, and get paid for it into the bargain, then yes, everyone (male or female) might work long and hard, just because they enjoy it.

But having to go to work in order to perpetuate the double-income level of housing and lifestyle, instead of staying home and enjoying time with the kids, if you wish to have kids; or getting further education; or running a hobby-based business that doesn't have to make a profit; able to have a sabbatical; etc are all better options that improve the sanity of the population, instead of groundhog days eating up your life.

If kids are growing up seeing the pressure that parents are putting on themselves, just to maintain a myth of house prices and lifestyles, than lord knows what the next generation are going to turn out like.

I agree with this CF - one of my (older) friends who grew up in the 70's is very strongly into womens lib and finds it strange that women stay at home "in this day and age".

The thing is I don't think there's any more choice now than there ever was. The majority of women (that I know) go back to work because they have to due to the bills (mainly mortgage) that they are committed to.

So rather than having to stay at home because it's what society dictates they have to go to work instead!

SingleSue

When I went back to work in 2001 (had 3 children by this stage), I went not because of money as it actually made us worse off initially (we were one of the lucky couples who didn't need two salaries to live) but for my own sanity.

I hated being someones mother, someones wife, someones daughter.....I wanted to have my own identity again...to be me.

It gave me the chance to have a social life, albeit a work social life and to speak with adults instead of child talk all the time and it helped to stave off depression due to the problems that were at that time just becoming obvious in two of my children.

After a year or two, it was also nice to improve our earnings and have the little extras, to do some hours during the day as well as in the evening so we could treat the boys to a holiday at Disneyland Paris.

It gave me a sense of being in a nutshell (although on my first day I did wonder what the scoobie I was doing when I could be a stay at home mum!)