I don’t want to work because I want to be a stay at home mum, I want to be the one who raises my children. I cannot afford childcare if both my partner and I worked; we would be working for nothing.
I have worked in the past; I have not always lived on benefits. I used to work in a school as a cleaner, wasn’t the best job in the world but it was a job and deciding to not working is my decision. I chose to have a baby and I wanted to be the one to bring up my children.
I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and I will be staying at home with this baby too. I will not work until both my children are in school. Once they are both in school then I will look for a job, something that will give me some independence and make our lives a little better.
It is not easy to raise children on benefits and it is very hard at times, people think we can afford anything and everything but that’s just not true. I am just careful with my money and what I get has to last us. My husband does work, but we also rely on top ups from benefits and we survive, some weeks are worse than others but we try not to waste money.
As for the stigma of benefit mums, it is very wrong. We are not all having babies for the money or to be lazy. My own family have worked all their life, paid their taxes and as far as I’m concerned, I am living off them, so people who say “you are living off me working” I turn round and say load of bollocks. I don’t want to work right now and that is my choice to make for my family.
A mom shares her reasons for choosing not to work and why she feels it’s better for her that she stays at home and raises her children.
What are your views?
