Did I waste my education staying at home? Not on your nelly

God I've read some crap this morning. Admittedly it was on the Daily Mail website, so it's my own fault. But - know thine enemy ...

I was reading about some dumb arse suggestion that educated British women are throwing away their top degrees in favour of child-rearing.

Firstly I do not have a top degree, I have a 2:1 but not even from a red brick. But my career pinnacled at the dizzy heights of marketing manager before I, tut tut, took a year off to raise Elf. I then went back 3 days a week and rose to better oxygenated levels of data manager. I am now being made redundant and am at last following my dream to work in the classroom. I don't think I have the energy or funds to do teacher training, that might be far into the future, I actually am applying for teaching assistant jobs. I have been volunteering for 18 months and I know exactly what I'm letting myself in for. - I can't wait.

How dare someone think I'm throwing away a degree to have a child and then stay at home to bring him up? Then work part time which is in essence chasing my tail to earn money AND bring him up? I suppose the same person would berate me for wanting to work in a job that is seen by many as "oh not a teacher then"? I was even asked my someone close "Aren't you over qualified?" I'm not qualified at all to work in a classroom! I'm qualified to market a product to put money in the boss's back pocket. That's all well and good, but for me, that doesn't compare to being able to make a difference to a child, to enable a child to reach their potential whatever their background or ability.

And that's really what these women are doing with their 'top degrees" - imparting their knowledge, of all things worldly not their degree subject, onto their children. Why target them? On the other hand, high achieving business women are hated for going to work and leaving baby with a nanny.

We can't win. But we shouldn't have to win!

This is all about choice. It is your choice to do what's best for you and your family. Only you know what this is. And good luck to you. I hope Elf sees me as a good example to him - I got a good education, had a good career, am doing my best for him, and hoping to help other children do well.

Would I Lie To You board family game review

Would I Lie To You? "The game of believable lies and unbelievable lies ", linked into the TV show of the same name. Purchased: December 2017 in Waterstones, for around £20 In a nutshell: These TV show-affiliated games usually show themselves up (Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Top Gear) but this game is fun and easy to play (if a little modified) as a family. You don't really need specialist knowledge to play, just the ability to lie! Every year for Christmas, I like to buy a board game to play, even though no games better either Ludo (in which my dad is the reigning cheater-champion, and argues to high heaven over the rules about doubling up or how to place your counters in "Home") or Rummikub (which we can now play with two packs of cards lest we forget the game). This year, Would I Lie To You caught my eye in Waterstones (other emporiums - emporia? - for book lovers are [locally] unavailable). It's a game, it says, for 2-8 players; however we dec...

A walk from Portchester Castle to Salt Cafe

Well we just had to choose the worst day of the year to walk. The date had been set weeks before - who knew there would be the worst winds of the decade almost on this very day? But we didn't want to be beaten. We will walk to the cafe. At least it wasn't raining! Parking is free next the castle and obviously, it wasn't busy this day! We set off around the outside of this medieval monument. The sea wall affords views across to Portsmouth and Gosport, and Portsdown Hill if you look behind. You can see the Spinnaker Tower in my photos, but you'd have to zoom in. The sea wall leads to a walk along a path, switching between grass (a much more sheltered area) beside a playpark, and the beach. It is an easy, flat walk, made slightly harder in the wind. After 1.75 miles, you reach the Salt Cafe (@saltcafe66). This took us one hour - that wind did slow us down! I've had a breakfast bap there before and remember it being delicious, but slightly expensive. But today, we...

That's not my Elf, he's too rude and noisy

At nursery drop-off this morning, I was handed part of Elf's transfer to school pack, you know, the bit that the pre-school teacher had completed and also that Elf had drawn in (looking worryingly like a blaze that Fireman Sam ought to be putting out instead of rescuing Norman's head from a saucepan with the "jaws of life"). Reading it, I had a sense of "That's not my child" in the way that the above tractor book is written. Surely, the little angel you've so kindly described here doesn't really exist, and certainly doesn't pretend to be my little Elf? So here is "This is not my child" book, by A Humdrum Mum. That's not my child He's too rude and noisy That's not my child He's uncaring and unkind (to me sometimes) That's not my child He wants to sit in front of the TV not run around in the garden That's not my child He won't help me take in the washing This is my child ...

A Humdrum Mum

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