Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Is looking after children 'working hard and getting on'?

Yes - as long as it's not your own children.

The Government thinks that looking after children is such worthwhile work that it is going to give people money to help them pay for it. As long as they don't do it themselves.

Does that make sense?

Try another argument. Women who choose to stay at home to look after their children make a financial sacrifice for the sake of their children, because everyone knows that small children looked after by their parents do better than children left in day care. So, to secure an important good, they end up financially worse off.

So the Government thinks that the taxman should take money away from those who have less, and give it to those who have more: those who have not made that financial sacrifice.

And the Government wants to discourage people from doing what is best for their children, and what most women actually want to do.

Does that make sense?

Now, perhaps not everyone is able to look after their own children. But those who make a superhuman effort and do so, should they be punished for it?

Let David Cameron and George Osborne know what you think. Pick up a pen and write to them:

The House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

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