I made a choice when my children were born to take time out of going out to work to become a stay at home mum.
We decided that rather than go back to work and pay someone most (if not all) of my salary to someone to look after my children, that I would remain at home with them and become a stay at home parent.
This was a choice. I appreciate that not every parent has this choice; that lots of people have to work. But we have little to no support and if the children were ill I would need to take time off work to be with them. We both felt that I could not have committed to an employer at this time in mine and my family's life.
However, we are being penalised more and more by the Government for being present in our children's lives. I do not want to go in to the rights and wrongs, but I do wish that the Government would put more value on bringing up children.
We have made many sacrifices so that I can collect my children from school, go to their nativity plays and their assemblies.
I believe by not giving families where only one parent works the same tax benefits on childcare as a family where both parents work shows that this government really doesn't not value stay at home parents or parenting in any shape or form.
I found the transition to motherhood really hard. I went from being a valued member of a team, who got appraisals rewards and recognition to being an invisible "mummy," who had no job at all. When in fact parenting is the hardest job I have ever done. There is no manual, no job description and often no help.
So I say we need to start valuing ourselves and celebrating mothers everywhere and hopefully the government and others will start to see the value of a parent is much more than they could ever compensate is for.
The question is how do we do this and where do we start?
Jen is passionate about crafting and cooking, and can often be found in the kitchen teaching her boys (aged 8 and 6) to make pizza dough, or making home-made gifts for family and friends. When not up to her eyes in flour or paint, she can be found blogging about family life.
Blog at: A Thrifty Mum
Twitter: @AThriftyMum