Hey Tammy,
                     Your still with us!!! I've missed you girl !!!!!! Hopefully your sticking around for a bit now!!!!

fi xo

P.S Was only thinking bout you the other day. Hope all is well with you and yours........ mail me soon hey

Exactly what I was trying to say.  Thank you for wording it better!

I think in this instance the universities should also look at helping out.  Most have Childcare as a subject so they should look at having working daycares on campus to cope with all the students who have kids and the students should get priority.

Well said cazza!!!!! There is a shortage of places all over Australia and the government should be doing more for ALL parents especially when they're the ones that wanted us to have more kids!!!!

fi xo

I couldn't get access to childcare to begin with but no because of stay at home parents!!! I asked the girls that worked in her centre at the time and it had nothing to do with SAHP! From your comment, then I better line up with stay at home parents. I was working midnight to 6 a.m and grace was in child care 5 days a week while I was at home during the daytime. So anyone that didn't know me would of "assumed" that I was just another stay at home mum that put her child into care to have a good time etc. There is a lack of child care Australia wide and it's not soley due to stay at home parents taking places. I didn't have a family to rely on either and to a point still don't but I deal with it along with a lot of other single parents that I know.

I knew I'd get shot down for that.  But I worked at my daughter's daycare centre so I'm not just saying things without knowing anything.  I know there were at least half a dozen SAHPs who had their kids in full-time care and if just one of them dropped a Tuesday, that would still leave them with 4 days a week of care.  I know they pay the full amount and that the govt only subsidises 24 hours a week to those who aren't working or studying but I still think there should be something in place to put working or studying parents ahead of those who are at home.  I stand by that belief.  And to say that childcare is good the child is just an excuse.  I know that my child is in daycare because I work, but that's not the ideal situation.  If mums put the time and effort into their kids, they'll learn at home more than they can learn in a daycare centre environment.  At the moment, if there is a waiting list then the working mum is put above the non-working mum, but spaces are not cancelled once they are in care and I think that they should be able to cut it back to the 2 days for non-working parents if a working parent is in need of the space in order to work.  Ok, give me a poor or very poor I don't care but as a working mum struggling to find a job I'm very bitter that SAHPs can get their kids into care full time and those who want to work have to wait til their kids are at preschool age or start school to get a job.  I have had to rely on people I know higher up to get me a job and I can't leave this job and go elsewhere.  I've been offered many jobs, but they can't work around the Tuesday off.  I would love to say yes I'll do the 1pm to 5pm shift, 4 hours is enough for me.  But no, some mother who stays at home all day every day kid-free uses the space instead.  You can argue that home may not be safe for the child due to the mother being depressed, but if that's they case why is the child at home at all? Why is it safe on weekends if it's not safe through the week? Like I said, vote my comment as poor but many people will agree but will be too scared to speak up on here for fear of being attacked.  I'm not saying that they shouldn't have access to it, but it should be looked at more closely to ensure those who need it are the ones who get it.  I don't have any family around either and last year I was stuck doing casual relief work with no chance of a permanent position and sometimes I worked all available days and sometimes I had nothing and was having to rely on charity because i couldn't put food on the table.  I'm a single mum not receiving child support, having reduced payments from c'link because i don't get child support and working is a necessity for me.  It's made difficult due to people using it who aren't entitled to the subsidy for it.  They have husbands on big wages, they have family support, they don't need it to work so why should they have the priority?

I am a single mum who has never received one ounce of child support either and child care access was and still limited. You do sound bitter and I don't believe I ever said that you were saying things without knowing anything nor did I vote your comment down. In fact I did not vote on it at all!!!!! Personally, I chose not to be bitter and worked with the what I had. It was not the ideal situation but it's what I had to do for us to survive. Then again, do we live in a perfect world???? I can't remember it being so cos if we did then I wouldn't have to work two jobs to be able to survive, I wouldn't have to work everday of the school holidays, there would be enough child care placements for all, grace would have the perfect father and we'd all live happily ever after...... yeah right! As for depressed people's children staying with them on the weekend, who knows what happens to them but shouldn't we all be a little more worried than bitter and self pitying???? Hmm let's see how long this takes to get a poor vote....... who cares!

Just to clarify one thing.......no-one said anything about home not being safe for a child where there parent has a medical condition. It was said that those who do have a medical condition, need a break......they are getting help, and saying, "yes I need some time away from my child" and that's actually a good thing, it's not easy to admit to anyone that you need help looking after your child. Please take that into consideration when you make generalised comments.

Well I'm glad it's not only me that doesn't understand!!!!! Maybe this woman is similar to others who bag bottlefeeding mum's......... it's another narrow minded and careless statement made by someone who only thinks that they know whats best for everyone....... sorry but I'm not happy at all

fi xox

I'm not happy either....I work in Child Care and I see SAHP using child care and most of them do have a valid reason for using child care. Some parents suffer from depression or their child has learning difficulties, so they need a break. No where does it state that child care is for working parents only. It's our child and our bussiness why our child is in care.....no-one else's, and no-one has the right to tell us if and when we can use child care.

Amanda xx

Fair point re drop off in the morning and pick up at night. I just don't know how someone can sit there and say that stay at home mum's shouldn't have access to child care!!!!!! As you said, aren't we all entitled to break????? I can't believe some people........

fi xo

It's true that some SAHP leave their children in care for too long....we have one parent at the moment that leaves it to the last minute to pick up her child every time and then stays past closing time, but that is a minority.....most SAHP use child care for good reasons and it's there for everyone to use.

All i have to say is that i have no family around me and i am a stay at home mum i dont have a mums group anymore and i want to put my 3 year old in childcare 2 days a week because I NEED the break and i think that kids need to be in care so they can learn to develop helthy relationships with other caring adults they learn to be in a school like area and they need it for their SOCIAL  development (i sure dont wanna send more social retards into the world). I have no problem with stay at home mums taking places every one needs a break and everyone is entitled, i understand your frustration that these kids are taking places but as i said everyone needs a break and maybe the government should do something about it!!

Have a nice day everyone

Needing a break is one thing, but 5 days a week from 6am to 6pm is something different again.  A mum of 3 has all her kids in daycare for this long each day then on weekends her mother has the kids while she "has a break" because she works 3 of those days.  She's now talking about having another one because she loves being a mum.

i really dont think it is your place to judge them you dont know their situation.

i know there are people who abuse the system and there are people who dont, you cant put all SAHM in the same category unless you know all their personal reasons for doing what they do. Once again i understand where you are coming from your frusturated and you wanna work and good on you for wanting to, if i lived near you id gladly watch your child to help you out like  i do for a few of my friends... have you looked into Family day care- Occasional care (yes you can have regular occasional care, i had it), have you lookind into maybe the local church and what they have or maybe an agency nanny for the days you cannot get your child into day care- there are loads of options our there.

Child care is open to everyone and no one can help that

Right, I think you've made your point. We all approach parenting differently and all have different views so I would appreciate if this is ended now. You keep bringing up the same point over and over again and I think we all get the idea now.

well said lonely28!!