Mother knows best
Discussion
So why then does the tax & benefit system discrimate against stay at home mothers?.
Full Telegraph article below.
Mother knows best, claims report on child care
By Marco Giannangeli
(Filed: 03/10/2005)
Children raised by their mothers perform better in developmental tests than those looked after in nurseries or by relatives and childminders, according to a study.
The findings, to be presented to the National Childminding Association conference today, will be welcomed by those who believe a mother's place is in the home, and disturb those mothers whose financial constraints give them no choice but to work.
But the authors of the report have claimed the problem also highlights the quality of child care in Britain.
They cite crowded nurseries and inexperienced au pairs. The study, claimed to be one of the most comprehensive of its kind, focused on 1,200 children from birth to three years old, in Oxfordshire and north London.
Mothers were interviewed when their babies were three months old, and again when they were 10, 18, 36 and 51 months. Children were asked to perform a series of tasks with attention paid to performance and eye contact with adults.
The result, according to the co-author Penelope Leach, was that children not raised by their mothers showed higher levels of aggression.
"The study does not mean every child in a large nursery will become a monster," Mrs Leach, the president of the NCA, told The Observer yesterday. "Nevertheless, it shows a small but significant difference in a large group."
Almost half of those women taking part looked after their children full time, while a third returned to work before their children were eight months old. Eight per cent went back to full-time employment after their babies were three months old.
Full Telegraph article below.
Mother knows best, claims report on child care
By Marco Giannangeli
(Filed: 03/10/2005)
Children raised by their mothers perform better in developmental tests than those looked after in nurseries or by relatives and childminders, according to a study.
The findings, to be presented to the National Childminding Association conference today, will be welcomed by those who believe a mother's place is in the home, and disturb those mothers whose financial constraints give them no choice but to work.
But the authors of the report have claimed the problem also highlights the quality of child care in Britain.
They cite crowded nurseries and inexperienced au pairs. The study, claimed to be one of the most comprehensive of its kind, focused on 1,200 children from birth to three years old, in Oxfordshire and north London.
Mothers were interviewed when their babies were three months old, and again when they were 10, 18, 36 and 51 months. Children were asked to perform a series of tasks with attention paid to performance and eye contact with adults.
The result, according to the co-author Penelope Leach, was that children not raised by their mothers showed higher levels of aggression.
"The study does not mean every child in a large nursery will become a monster," Mrs Leach, the president of the NCA, told The Observer yesterday. "Nevertheless, it shows a small but significant difference in a large group."
Almost half of those women taking part looked after their children full time, while a third returned to work before their children were eight months old. Eight per cent went back to full-time employment after their babies were three months old.
silversun said:
Personally, I thought the tax and benefit system discriminated against everyone.
The reason why I said the system discriminates against stay at home mothers (in a 2 parent household) is twofold.
1. The couple do not gain the benefit of the wife's personal allowance, which they would if she were in work. Thus a 1 earner household is worse off than a two earner household of identical gross income.
2. Many government benefits are aimed at working mother’s such as child care subsidies.
One simple change they could make is that if a couple are married and have chilren that there personal allowances are automatically pooled.
One of the least fair things about the system is that couples where the woman gives up work are effectively punsihed by the tax system in this way.
One of the least fair things about the system is that couples where the woman gives up work are effectively punsihed by the tax system in this way.
JagLover said:
1. The couple do not gain the benefit of the wife's personal allowance, which they would if she were in work. Thus a 1 earner household is worse off than a two earner household of identical gross income.
This is scandalous, frankly. Its ridiculous that families are unable to "pool" their tax allowance.
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