We spoil our children into adulthood making it hard for mothers to work . The reality is mothers do it all…come home and prepare full on meals , clean house, clean clothes etc…. When most children don’t lift a finger. When will it be ok for mothers to make their children contribute without feeling like a wicked witch ? We are still too back wards socially .

Must be the age gap then. I’m in my 30s and as I said, they all work at this age. My mum doesn’t but she’s 60 and enjoying it.

Let the flaming begin.

I have decided to be a full time mum and enjoy my son to the full. I want to be the person who educates him and leads him through his development, and not other members of my family, or complete strangers.

At 39 my husband and I decided to have kids because WE wanted them, it is a choice everyone is free to make. I don’t believe in shoving the responsibility onto family or dumping my kid in daycare, just in order for me to be able to work, and show to the world that I am no old fashioned woman!

I don’t care what people think, and I am sick of people being critical of stay at home mums as though they are some inferior stupid breed. I have a degree, and have worked in good positions before now, so I am not staying at home because I am some brainless moron! I would rather make financial sacrifices in order to stay at home with my child.

[Daphne – No need to get upset, Christina. If you had your first child at 39 then presumably you worked for around 20 years before that, so you did your bit. It’s much the same as doing it the other way round: having your children in your 20s, raising them, then going to work at 40 for the next 20 years. The women I’m talking about are those who have children young or fairly young, raise them, and then when their children are in their late teens or 20s and they’re in their 40s and still able to contribute even if only for their own sake, they do nothing instead.]

[Daphne – Well, with me and my age cohort, it’s the other way round: 1% work and 99% don’t. And the ones who work tend to have never had children.]

Maybe he should be talking about the slave labour wages that are paid out in this country, which make it near enough impossible to save anything but a few euros a month.

Erm.. I was under the impression that the social security contribution also covered your medical expenses, and those of others who may not be able to afford medical treatment.

Or are you suggesting we go down the American path of ‘I’m alright jack’, with the consequence that there is excellent treatment for the few but not for the many?

I never said I condoned the wage inequality, but denying it would be foolish.

Not only do women earn less on average (and this is an undeniable truth – for a plethora of reasons – social / biologivcal etc;) but they live longer on average too – therefore, it would be logical that they should be made to contribute more. Call it self-interest if you wish.

The cherished ghonnella (sbejha patria…) is nothing more than a hijab (barra minn fuqna! Ahna Nsara sa mill-eqdem zminijiet bla bla bla…)

When dividends were paid I used to receive a reimbursement from the 35% withholding tax and re-invest the dividends in some more shares.

That was in the bad old days when GonziPN ruled the roost. Now that there is Professor Edward Scicluna and Dr Joseph Muscat who want to create a new middle class I won’t be receiving any of the withholding tax which is even at a rate higher than the highest income tax rate which I believe is 32%.

This will hit the middle class next December when they won’t find any reimbursement cheques from the Inland Revenue Department.

Thanks to Joseph .