I think you will be extremely busy with responses from our local "mother earth", Mrs P Partington.

I have four children and have always worked, but wonder if I fall into the "selfish" catagory as I run a family business from home.

I now only have one child at home. I start work when she goes to school and am always there for her, but that does not mean I stand in judgement of the women who are not lucky enough to be in my position where I feel I have the best of both worlds.

Mrs Partington is back in the Ark. Times have moved on and we are now in the 21st century.

I know a lot of women do rely on after-school care, but does Mrs Partington not realise this is sometimes the only option kids have of playing with their friends in a safe enviroment and being watched by experts?

We can no longer let our kids play, even in their own gardens, without having to check up on them. When they are picked up it is still a reasonable time to have tea together, plus what these people teach them is a bonus to what we teach them.

With regards to wanting it all, I, like a lot of my friends, spend my hard-earned cash on taking my children to hobbies like horse riding, swimming, dancing, football and piano.

Two of my children have good degrees and brilliant jobs, another is working hard towards one, and the little one will also be encouraged should she want this route.

The majority of parents do our best for our kids - yes, there are always "bad mothers", but there always will be.

I was one of a family of seven children who also had a stay-at-home mum she was always there for me, but it was hardly The Waltons. Firstly, I was incredibly shy when I started school, as I had not had the opportunity to mix as much as a lot of the kids.

When I was a little older, I used to be jealous of my friends with working parents who had holidays, nicer clothes than me, hobbies and nicer homes.

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