I know how to fix unemployment, and the broken society.

[Deako]

Blokes that want their women to be stuck at home, looking after kids and being home makers, have some serious self esteem and security issues.

Why would you not want the woman you love to have experiences outside of the house?

I love the fact that my Mrs will soon be earning more dosh than me as a Developer.

[RedRobin]

1. This originally started as a facebook joke, naturally some women bit and it turned into a debate. However it then did get me thinking tbh as I do believe society is better off with traditional family values and because job sharing could very well become a reality throughout the course of capitalism.

The GF wants to be a stay at home mum. She's currently a children centre manager and thinks it's sad that so many young children get stuffed by their parents into these places from 8-5, or longer.

I posted this partly as a pee take but it's progressed from that now. Alot of women would happily be house wifes and then there are others who think I'm an idiot.

Personally I don't care whether it's the man or woman who stays at home, but in my ideal world this would be a reality, along with families being able to spend more time together whilst working slightly less.

....That's exactly how interpreted your first post and i happen to wholeheartedly agree with you about this aspect of family values. When I was married my wife didn't want to work and we both made do without her doing so. Our children are (were, because one has passed on) all the better for it - We all are. In fact, considering that our son passed on at 4yo it would have been absolutely sickening to have missed out on the fullness of those 4 short years.

Bottom line is that we're all different and can make our own choices - We don't have to be sheep and do what we think society or our peer group expects of us. Be brave enough to be different! Think Different like the late Steve Jobs did.

[RedRobin]

Blokes that want their women to be stuck at home, looking after kids and being home makers, have some serious self esteem and security issues.

Why would you not want the woman you love to have experiences outside of the house?

I love the fact that my Mrs will soon be earning more dosh than me as a Developer.

....It's not necessarily a case of what the blokes want as you put it. Different women want different things and usually get what they want.

Once she becomes a mother, isn't it more natural for a woman to want to give everything she can for her children rather going out to the rat race of work?

Have you got children? Believe me when I advise that dosh isn't everything and don't fall into that viscious circle trap of earning more for the sake of your children. Often so called 'poor' families have a much greater family bond.

[Deako]

Blokes that want their women to be stuck at home, looking after kids and being home makers, have some serious self esteem and security issues.

Why would you not want the woman you love to have experiences outside of the house?

I love the fact that my Mrs will soon be earning more dosh than me as a Developer.

....It's not necessarily a case of what the blokes want as you put it. Different women want different things and usually get what they want.

Once she becomes a mother, isn't it more natural for a woman to want to give everything she can for her children rather going out to the rat race of work?

Have you got children? Believe me when I advise that dosh isn't everything and don't fall into that viscious circle trap of earning more for the sake of your children. Often so called 'poor' families have a much greater family bond.

Nope, and we never, ever want to have any either. Personal choice, long discussed and for a multitude of reasons. Mostly because we think this planet, sadly, is a complete sh*t hole and a bad environment to bring even more people into. I love the idea of having kids, but just dont want to bring any into this world. Also, the wife and i want to enjoy the rest of our lives together and live for the moment. Childbirth is dangerous, in spite of modern medicine being great also.

My mother and me both were on the cusp of death during my birth. She lost 6 pints of blood.

I agree, some women would "rather" stay at home and look after the kids, and if their partner can earn enough to support this arrangement, then fair enough.

But to specifically prefer your woman to be stuck at home is selfish and ignorant. In my honest opinion.

I was brought up by a single mum. She worked her arse off to bring us up as best she could, paying for expensive child care when necessary. I love her for all the sacrifices she made.

[tony_danza]

I'd say 90% of problem youths are from a home where the parent/s are at home all day, because they're out of work.

The problem isn't parents not being around, the problem is parents not being up to the job.

[stealthwolf]

The problem isn't parents not being around, the problem is parents not being up to the job.

+1.

Both my parents worked and this didn't have any (obvious) detrimental effect on me. They still brought me up relatively strictly which I think helped. We were educated on rights and wrongs, appropriately disciplined when we were very naughty etc.

You could have the mother at home all day but if there's no discipline, education and love from the parents, the child will more likely be dysfunctional.

[RedRobin]

I'd say 90% of problem youths are from a home where the parent/s are at home all day, because they're out of work.

The problem isn't parents not being around, the problem is parents not being up to the job.
 

....True, but I think that it depends on the attitudes of those parents who are at home all day. Which in a way is the same as what you're saying. It's the 'ignorance' factor.

I don't know the answers, or at least the answers are either too impractical or impossible to apply, and so I say to myself "I don't care enough about everyone else and I'll look after myself and daughter the best I can without being greedy - Just keep life simple and happy".

[RedRobin]

You could have the mother at home all day but if there's no discipline, education and love from the parents, the child will more likely be dysfunctional.

....Exactly! 

But discipline (the schools no longer give it) and love can be greatly diminished if the parents are absent a lot.

[andrewparker]

I completely agree with the sentiment of bringing back traditional family values, but we live in an equal society. We're better off for that.

My wife works. She has a degree, and as a Producer for BBC Current Affairs earns quite a bit more than I do. But we're not chasing money, we both have ambitions and interests, a life beyond the family. We're a fairly liberal but our whole family life is still based around those traditional family values. Our child goes to nursery 3 days a week, something we would have chose to do regardless of whether we both worked or not.

I think an end to Sunday trading would be a step in the right direction personally.

[Tfsi_Mike]

I think an end to Sunday trading would be a step in the right direction personally.

Although it really bugs me at times (mostly when needing a tool on a sunday or out of bread or bacon)  You are probably right.  Over here typically families go out together, strole into town for a café or pub restaurant visit, visit a local point of interest together etc etc on a Sunday.  Quality time spent together rather than going out for material things in the shops usually out of boredom  (we would regularly visit Asda at the end of the road for something to do Sunday if bored when we lived in England...)

[andrewparker]

Hmmm, how dare they!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15211861