‘It’s about time help is given to mums at home’
IT’S the hardest work I’ve ever done. It’s relentless and it’s tiring but it’s also really wonderful and rewarding.”
Charlotte Ash has stayed at home to look after her children since her youngest daughter Selena, two, was born and is delighted researchers at London University’s Institute of Education have said the Government should support mums like her instead of forcing women back into work.
The research found that many mothers feel they have to choose between being a good parent and a good worker and lead author Dr Carol Vincent warned Government policies fail to recognise that many families struggle to balance full time employment with the demands of parenting.
It’s a familiar dilemma for Charlotte, of Sunflower Street, Cambridge, who went back to work after her first child Jasmine was born, for financial reasons, but decided staying at home to look after her girls was more important when Selena came along.
The 30-year-old welcomed the report and said every woman should decide which option was best for them - home or work - but those who decided to stay with the kids should also be supported.
Charlotte said: “That’s really good, it’s been a long time coming. A lot of women want to stay at home, not all do and that’s fine as well, but for those people who do, they should not be made to feel they should be out working.
“The focus is all on free child care and getting access to child care but a lot of mums don’t want to go back to work.”
Richard, Charlotte’s 37-year-old husband, holds down two jobs to enable Charlotte to stay at home.
She explained: “He is very supportive, but it is up to the individual family. We have to be very careful with money because we only have one income and there is a lot of budgeting and trips to car boot sales but I think it is worth it.”
The research was based on a study of 70 families in inner city areas of London - Stoke Newington in north London, and Battersea in the south - as well as 18 childcare providers.
It followed an announcement of a Government drive last month to move 300,000 single parents into work.
Dr Vincent said: “The mothers in our research were often caught between two conflicting positions - being a ‘good’ mother, or being a ‘good’ worker.
“If they were in work, they had to balance having reduced time at home, with being an ideal mum.
There have been a number of policies under the Labour Government to encourage mothers back into the workplace.
“But working class mothers don’t have the flexibility. It is very difficult for them to be good mothers and good workers.
“It is about giving more recognition to the work mothers do at home, valuing motherhood more, or bringing fathers in to play a greater role.”
Charlotte agrees.
She said: “A lot of women don’t have the choice for financial reasons. Childcare can be very expensive. There are nursery vouchers and ways of claiming child care but if you are a stay at home mum it isn’t always available for you.
“The Government should address the financial restrictions, particularly given housing costs.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said evidence showed working mothers provided good role models for their children and said they were working to encourage lone parents back into employment to reduce child poverty.
