Lifestyle Choices

‘My children are very happy as they have lots of friends and interests. They accept things, but would prefer to have their dad with us.’

Jean, 44, doctors’ receptionist/typist

‘I dread Monday mornings more. I often doubt my ability to do my job and have this lurking dread that some catastrophe will expose my shortcomings.’

Christine, 3o, financial controller

‘My older boys have admitted that although they complain about me working, they appreciate my need to do so and respect the fact that it does make me a more interesting person. Jack and Joe have never known anything else.’

Jackie, 36, accounts clerk/estate agent

‘Weekends. You’re supposed to go out and have fun and (a) I can’t afford to; (b) babysitters are a problem; and (c) I like the routine the weekdays give me.’

Wendy, 46, teacher/now a journalist

‘Monday mornings: there’s too much organizing to do. I do two hours’ “work” before I get to work.’

Maggie, 37, programming consultant

‘I don’t dread any day. They are all different, sometimes tiring and stressful, but mostly enjoyable and good fun, whether it’s at work or with Evie.’

Helen, 27, business development consultant

‘I think they are thoroughly enjoying themselves and love telling people I’m at school and have homework to do’

Lynne, 33, student

‘My daughter says that she’s not going to get married as she doesn’t want children; she wants some peace. She has also said that if she has children, she’s not going to go to work because it is too hard. I hope she‘ll look back and be happy with how things were’

Di, 3o, quality control supervisor

‘They enjoy the challenge of moving (nine times in 12 years):
the extra explorations, unusual houses, new friends they meet’
Lindsay, 39, supply teacher

‘I hope I will bring her up to know that I love her more than
anything, but independent enough for her to do what she wants’
Sarah, 25, general manager of retail/mail-order leisurewear company

`Fine. Anna loves nursery and there’s no way she could go there if I didn’t work.’

Sarah, 31, training manager

`Approving. I disapproved of my mother vegetating at home.’
Julie, 29, accountant

`I think Ben will think more of his father because he spends more time with him. I’m always “busy in the kitchen”.’

Julie, 33, secretary

`She wishes she was older so that we could go out together in the evenings. She’s proud that I work in a school.’

Patricia, 37, teaching assistant

`I hope my child realizes that I was only human and had shortcomings too. I hope that she will know that I did my best for her and that she will feel she was loved and cherished.’

Audrey, 41, admin supervisor

`My daughters talk about when they will go out to work (aged six and four). I believe they accept this as the way I live and I hope they are proud of me.’

Carole, 36, bank manager

`They wouldn’t thank me for staying at home, but I expect they’ll complain about me when they’re teenagers — when you can’t do anything right anyway.’

Sharon, 33, design manager

`I think, as they get older, they will appreciate the creative atmosphere they were growing up in: the interesting people they meet and places that they go to.’

Sarah, 37, college lecturer (Fashion Design)

`My 22-year-old daughter said that she hoped she‘d be just like me when she’s 5o. I was enormously pleased and flattered’ Elizabeth, 5r, fine art journal editor

`My children will feel that I was definitely strange, but never boring’

Toni, 39, NHS senior manager

`I hope they will admire me and realize that they too can cope without a man to support them’

Christine, 42, resource manager (publications)

`They don’t know any different, but my son is just beginning to say that he would rather stay at home than go to nursery.’

Arabella, 33, interior designer

`What a dull old stick mum was.’

Brenda, 43, office worker

`My children feel that I was a fool to stay with a constantly unfaithful hubby for so many years!’

Raye, 49, personal assistant

`When I think back to how I felt about my own parents, my single most important memory is not being able to talk to them, and it’s the one I want most to overcome with my own daughter. I don’t expect her to want to be my best friend, but I hope there’s never anything that she feels she can’t say to me’

Sheila, 33, director/company secretary

`I think my son thinks I’m too soft with my husband — an understatement really! My husband criticizes me because he has to make his own dinner etc.’

Mary, 51, government press officer

`I hope they will have fond memories of a happy childhood, certain in our love for them.’

Samantha, 3o, quantitative market researcher

`My 19-year-old daughter loved it when I had a “good job”. She was proud of me. She thinks I’ve gone “mumsy” now. I’m not sure about the other two.’

Carol, 43, self-employed business administrator
`They may possibly wish that I had been at home more when

they got in from school when they were younger, to help with homework.’

Jan, 43, hotel manager

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