Contented little baby

On the subject of that, it is a sad sad place we have reached if we all need a book to tell us how to feed our children, get them to sleep, and get them into a routine that is so by the clock that if you put one foot out of line then you are doomed to fail. Surely when you have a baby you have to respond to it's needs, not get it to fit into a routine as quickly as possible. I have two children, neither of which sleeps through the night very often, but I will never leave them to cry for long periods of time, becausealthough I know they have slept through before, they probably need something this time, I will feed my baby on demand, even if he is nine months old. Our society is becoming less focused on the children and more on them fitting in, adapting to our way of life so we can carry on much as we did before they came along. I have heard so many people bemoaning the fact that their evenings have disappeared, the closest thing to a social life they have is baby group and all they ever do is talk about children, but that is what happens when you have children. A relationship with children is much like being in love, it fills your whole life, and consumes everything, nothing can ever be the same after they arrive, you want to spend every moment possible with them, and when they are not there they are constantly in your thoughts. Our society with it's huge financial pressures and it's non-stop tread mill of work, allows no time for people to be parents, but they can't shout stop because they want to get off. Dad is given two weeks off when baby is first born, but this is inevitably filled with visitors and well wishers, then off he goes again as if nothing has happened, mum is generously given nine months, but then has to go back at one of the most interesting phases of baby's little life, of course when she returns she has to work twice as hard to prove herself. If she dares to ask for flexible working or part time hours her life is made even more difficult. Plus she feels that all the hard work she put in before she had that baby has gone to waste, people don't take her seriously any more, and she has to make a choice, career or baby. She is made to feel a failure if she does not continue to climb the career ladder, and of course the very helpful government put in place child tax credits, so she can afford child care and work full time, but then of course she is bad mother, her children need her so why is she at work? Their bad behaviour and poor mental health is her responsibility and the blame for the decline of morals and rise of teenage pregnancy can be laid squarely at her door. So can we ever win? Yes of course, pay a stranger to look after your children, as long as they have a good ofstead report that is fine, work yourselves into the ground so that you can afford a good holiday, a nicer car, a bigger house, or we could all slow down a little bit. Who care about the number of bathrooms, or the model of the car as long as we are all happy, but then that is probably the hippy in me talking.
(We only have one car that is eight years old, and we don't have an ensuite, although secretly I would like one.)