Stay at home mums plummet by 25% in 15 years

So, according to a report for USwitch.com, the number of women returning to work after the birth of their child has gone up compared to 15 years ago. Is this really such a surprise? The cost of living is higher (you should have seen the total for my weekly Tesco shop – when did a few tins of beans and a loaf of bread get so expensive*), not to mention things that were seen as luxuries that could be foregone in 1993, like holidays and nice cars, are thought of as necessities now. And, of course, there is the mummy snobbery at the school gates, of who has the most up to date pram, and the maintenance costs of being a “yummy mummy”.

Seven out of eight mothers now go to work, despite 70% claiming they would prefer to be at home. So it would seem that it is not the rise of women who want to have it all, which is to blame for the drop in mothers at home, but the need to earn more money. I am lucky enough to be able to have been at home with my children, and now I work from home, so you could say I have the best of both worlds (although it does sometimes feel like it would be easier to be out at work!)

I have long wondered which is more expensive – going to work and paying for childcare, or staying at home and losing out on a wage. I went back to work part time after the birth of Son Number 1, but we could only afford that because I worked unusual hours and my other half was able to get flexible working parent hours. If we had had to pay for childcare it wouldn’t have been worth my while (and I was on a good salary too). Since having Josh, there was definitely no way we could have afforded childcare for both of them. But it seems to be a vicious circle. If anyone works it out, let me know…

I, for one, think it is such a shame that more mothers are unable to stay at home – I adore having the time for coffee mornings with my mummy friends and their babies – what excuse would I have for that if I went to work?

^* Hubby would like to point out that maybe the Rioja didn’t help either … I guess that reinforces my point about luxuries versus necessities…