Politics, what I would like to see

The wonderful Emily over at babyrambles has done a recent post on politics and the fact that the parties seem to be focusing on us mums quite a bit for this coming election.

The thing is I started to reply in a comment, but released if I didn't stop the comment would be larger than the post! So I decided to do a post in homage to the original

So what issues are important to me?

Firstly as a stay at home mum finances are key to me. MadDad and I struggle by and I mean struggle, we are getting deeper and deeper in debt each month. It was our choice for me not to work when the boys were this age, at what other age in their lives do you get to spend this much time with them, to influence their opinions and thoughts and to enjoy having fun with them. Yes our choice, but with the age gap, it was kind of a Hobson Choice, as childcare for two was pretty prohibitive.

Now had I returned to work I would have been entitled to tax credits, which in my opinion is like the government paying me a little extra money to help me afford childcare costs whilst I work. So in my very basic mindset, they are paying me to pay someone else to look after my beloved children whilst I go out to work. Why?

Why not pay me a little bit extra to be able to afford to stay at home and look after them myself, surly as their mother I am the best person in the world to look after them at this age.

Which brings me on to my next bugbear, education. I want my children to have the best education possible, in the local school. I want this to happen without the worries of SAT's. At six the most pressing thing I was concerned with was which Barbie should ride the white horse and why is Ken called Ken and not Buck Rogers?

We complain that children are growing up too fast nowadays, well hell what do we expect with this sort of thing going on in our society.

But the thing is, this is the least of it. Maxi is bright, as it mini, it is no longer the elephant in the room, we are all out and proud, but the school don't want t make a thing of it, they are happy for Maxi to do year 3 maths and aid and assist him where they can, but they don't want to fill out all the forms etc stating this is a fact. Why I hear you ask? Well if they did, then the LEA would be round, they would be pushed in to looking for additional funding for him and in all likely hood they would be learning targets.

What are we doing to our children, why can the government not be happy in the judgement of the school and its teachers. We are. We entrust them with our most precious items, our children.

Then there is learning to swim, when I was at school we went swimming once a week for the whole of my primary years, now they get to go for one year (if they are lucky) and that is that. The government goes on about child obesity, well is swimming not one of the best exercises you can do as a child. Oh I am getting so angry.

So Politicians if you want to know what is important to me, you need to start listening. and by that I mean listening to all us mums.

Oh I am not so fickle as to vote for you as your wife has nice hair, Liz at living with Kids has covered that wonderfully well and far more eloquently than could over at her blog on Kidstart.

I am not as immature been concerned about your choice in biscuits, which seemed to be the overall outcome over at Mumsnet. Family are what matters to me. So instead of trawling the Internet get out and about, meet the mums at the school gates and the ones who are forced to use the after school club. Start asking them the questions.

But more important that asking the right questions, to the right people, it is about delivering on the response, not just spurting platitudes. 

Finally I heard David Cameron this week commenting on Sam's pregnancy and it made my blood boil, when he commented that he was delighted, but yes it wasn't the most convenient timing. What a thing to say, why count he have just said that they were very pleased and this child was very wanted. End of.