Britain at the Bottom

Kate has posted about the recent report that put Britain at the bottom of a table of child-hood well being 21st out of 21.

I actually agree with many of her comments but I take issue with one or two points that she has made.

Of course, nursery care is a necessity. Not because it is best for the
child, but because the majority of mothers are now in full time employment - two
incomes are vital for most families - and these women are being encouraged to
return to work earlier and earlier in a country which has the longest working
hours in Europe.

Now is this true? I think it isn't totally correct. As she rightly says we live in a me me me society. We think we can have it all and we want it now. Now when I was a lad we never owned a phone. My Mother's colleague were astounded that they were buying their own house and didn't own a phone. To my parents it was obvious they could afford so much and the house was the priority. My dad has never owned a credit card if he doesn't have the money it doesn't get bought. You "saved up".

Then we have the whole chestnut of flexible working.

Of course when I was young it was laughable. My Mum did work. She did evenings when I was young and then did afternoons (not sure when she went back to work, I was certainly at primary school). But she and my dad made work fit around them.

Today it is assumed that work should fit around families. So of course people want to come and choose when they come. Companies can't work like that. You can hardly open a shop and then say sorry we have no one to serve you because its half term or the like.

Someone has to cover. Its a bit like 24-7 shop openings, we all like it but someone has to be there. Someone has to be on the end of a phone when we ring a call centre (mea culpa). Of course that is someone elses life style up the swanny.

The problem with flexible working is someone has to cover for your choices. And that folks is the problem. If you have children and have the right to choose the hours you want those without children have to cover.

I do agree with her conclusion WE have to decide what we want to we want to live in a world driven by the need to have stuff NOW or do we want to live in a slower gentler pace.