The debate: Mothers of children: what value Full Time Mothering ?

This blog is intended to start a debate on the value, role and future of the Full Time Mother in England (in the United Kingdom).

Mission Statement (draft)

  • We believe that mothers should have sufficient quality time to spend with their children, in order to equip them properly for their (and our) futures. We all want our children to grow up healthy, wise and self-controlled. Education from responsible mum's can contribute greatly to children's ability to deal with life, and well-balanced children will ensure that our future society is peopled by considerate individuals who are responsible for themselves, their families and their property and who will improve the prospects of this country and the planet.
  • We want our children to grow up in the best possible environment, known to be that of the home. This permits their natural development and equips them for the schooling to follow. If the best place for children is the home, why is the role of Full Time Mother given no apparent value in our society?


 Concerns

  • The constraints of the housing market are forcing many mothers to work. While this is a good use of our training, we note that putting our children into nursery is reported to have long-term, negative consequences on a child’s social development and behaviour. However, many of us have no option other than to work, in order to meet the needs of our families. This is largely due to the burden of the mortgage, particularly for those lower on the housing ladder (often new mothers). Increased child benefit such as awarded in France would enable mothers to avoid the known detrimental effects of nursery care for very young children by supporting them in the home.
  • Our children often move straight from nursery into preschool at age 4, which is relatively early compared to every other European country, allowing less time for their mental and social readiness. The emphasis on the economic market, rather than the quality of family life, has engineered a huge increase in services for child care which has not improved parent-child contact but instead has thrown children in with their peers: responsible behaviour is learned from adults, not other children!

  • The volunteer sector is being robbed of its most qualified and motivated members by the drive towards economic success at the expense of the human community. If the Full Time Mother (FTM) were afforded proper nominal and financial recognition, many would spent part of their parental years improving their own communities and providing services in keeping with their education and beliefs, sustaining our values and our way of life. A properly recognised Full Time (or Part Time) Mother should be assisted not only in her mothering input, but as a potentially well-qualified and always highly motivated member of the volunteer sector.

SUGGESTIONS:
  1. The FTM (full time mother) should be a recognised and valued career option
  2. Tax breaks per child such as awarded in Germany
  3. Financial support for mothers (proportional to proven earning potential) until their children go to school i.e. extended, government-funded maternity leave
  4. The pressure on school entry age to be revised upwards, in line with other successful education systems.

EXPECTED SOCIETAL BENEFITS:
  • Less antisocial behaviour •
  • Improved education results •
  • An increase in the volunteer sector •
  • More services for children of all ages •
  • An improved environment to grow old in •

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