Lifestyle choices ?

[Observer II]

To be a parent or to have a career ?   Seems the Gov is concerned to get more women back into the workplace due to current labour shortages, but many women now find child care costs negate the benefit of career.   Now assuming we want to maintain the birth rate, in order to have future workers to pay taxes in the future and pay for older care, a balanced population seems to be a requirement, which suggests this is a State problem, rather than just a personal one.  This in turn implies that a "State" solution is required, such as the return of Nursery schools as part of our education system, free at the point of use.   This happened post 1945,  when the boomers, were brought up in Nursey schools,  received free milk, cod liver oil etc, while Mum continued to work in jobs that they had taken over, replacing their men fighting in WW2.     Well, the Nursery schools were abandoned in favour of private baby sitter services, that now prove too expensive for individuals; and many couples decide either to not have kids at all, or leave the workplace totally.   Were bringing our daughters up to expect total equality of opportunity with men, thus a career;  but the biological impediment they face, is the fact that they literally carry the burden of childbirth and subsequent child care. So how should we find our way out of this issue ?      

[Evil Sid]

Ah the good old career, for those who have trouble keeping a job.....

can't understand how we have a labour shortage though.

pensioners now working into their late seventies or even early eighties, which means that the usual "gran will look after the kids" is now no longer an option for childcare.

Shops opening and closing all over the place ensuring a plentiful supply of customer facing roles.

Job agencies doing a roaring trade supplying short term employment opportunities.

Childcare places on nearly every street corner employing people to look after other peoples children.

Then all these immigrants coming over and taking our jobs.....🤦‍♀️

sarcasm or irony i am not quite sure which.

single parent families do not help either, mum with four kids by three fathers. fathers with half a dozen kids with four mums. but so much for my relatives....🤫

nursery schools were the norm when i was dragged up, what is called pre school nowadays. during the week mum or dad dropped the kids off at nursery school where they were looked after by half a dozen competent women until school finished when mum or dad or usually grandma picked them up. it was not ideal but it seemed to work.

[Confused52]

31 minutes ago, Observer II said:

..This in turn implies that a "State" solution is required, such as the return of Nursery schools as part of our education system, free at the point of use.   This happened post 1945,  when the boomers, were brought up in Nursey schools,  received free milk, cod liver oil etc, while Mum continued to work in jobs that they had taken over, replacing their men fighting in WW2.     Well, the Nursery schools were abandoned in favour of private baby sitter services, that now prove too expensive for individuals; and many couples decide either to not have kids at all, or leave the workplace totally.  ..

Sorry Obs, but that is not true. Nursery schools were absolutely not part of the system under the 1945 Education Act. For boomers the first taste of school was at an Infant school or primary school in the term after reaching age 5. Some places let you start in the term in which you became 5 but the classes were too large to take under fives in most places. The class I started in had over 40 five year olds. Free milk yes, in the top infants I used to distribute it to all of the classes. Cod Liver Oil no. My Mum only managed to work when I started school and then as a dinner lady at my school. You are dreaming.

[Observer II]

Well it seems I had a better Nursery than you then, The Nursey section was attached to the Infants section. Yes cod liver oil,  got weighed and checked for nits, had early jabs and a sleep on cots in the afternoon.  No shortage of jobs, my parents both worked for the Yanks at Burtonwood.  So well off by the standards of the time. Anyway, the point is should we return such a Utopian system or should women know their place and stay at home, which could save on educating them ?     😉

[Bill]

I was born in 1950 so my early school experience was much the same as Confused. My mother had several small part time jobs so was always there when I went to school and back before I returned. Back then, my mum would have been classed as a housewife, a term that these days is sadly almost unheard of. Irrespective of government policies and ideas, at the end of the day it’s a lifestyle choice.

 

Bill 😊

[Observer II]

Barring conception accidents, that's true Bill;  but it's also a strategic social issue too.   If populations decline and young cohorts are not replacing the older workforce,  it means less taxes to pay for pensions and a growing elderly care bill.