If you anger easily, click away from this page now because the contents are bound to get you going.
According to a new report, the children whose mothers are employed are more likely to be:
- driven to school – as if all stay-at-home mums walk their children to school!
- watch TV – so being at home all day every day with a stay-at-home mum means less television for children?
- snack on fizzy drinks – I guess us working mums have a radar for fizzy drinks and just pump it into our kids so that they can be extra hyper when we are finally in their company after a hard day’s graft
- eat too few portions of fruits and vegetables – so we are now to blame for their nursery/childminder/school not giving them sufficient fruit and veg during the day; and we obviously have a dislike for fruit and veg ourselves because we work?
Every time a new report like this comes out it astounds me how it is all a working mum’s fault. And yet, when mums don’t work we are accused of sponging off the state. What exactly are we supposed to do?
That aside, since when does going to work mean that we can’t give our kids a healthy meal at night, spend quality time with them and give them a healthy lifestyle? There is an obvious issue in the UK at the moment with obesity, something that needs to be addressed properly, but using mothers are the sole blame for it is unfair and demotivating. Working mums are trying to set a good example to their children by working, and keep a roof over children’s heads. That doesn’t make us less responsible parents!
I spoke to Radio Five Live about this very report – if you would like to hear the interview, click here.
