Mothers do not deserve blame

So "Name and address supplied" blames working mums. You should not make sweeping generalisations by suggesting the decline in social behaviour is down purely to working mums. What a surprise. Let's blame the working mum!

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you are a "stay-at-home mum" you are a second class citizen, not contributing to society, draining the benefits system (if you can get anything), or work shy.

If you work, all society's ills are blamed on you "the working mum" - more interested in careers and money than raising their children. What rubbish!

Get off your moral, religious high horse. It's not always the working mum's fault.

Granted there are some parents in society who lack effective parenting skills, often with detrimental consequences, but surely this is a wider social issue. What about errant fathers or parents who should know better but just don't care?

The Government must take some blame. They have ploughed money and resources into encouraging mothers back to work, yet neglect mothers who stay at home. Some have no choice but to work.

We should be lobbying Government to give back to teachers the power to discipline and make the police and courts more effective in dealing with offenders either to stop them offending in the first place or to prevent them having the opportunity to offend again.

Make parents responsible for their children's actions. Make it possible for mothers and fathers to stay at home and raise their children. Support parents to develop effective parenting skills.

Don't tar all working mothers with the same brush. Some of us work flat out, often in low-paid jobs, bringing our children up to know the difference between right and wrong and to treat people with respect.

Julie Phillips, Telford