The Johnsons baby announcement

Baggs

We need to stop talking about mothers of young children "going back to work". They are at work looking after their children. It really pisses me off that so few people recognise bringing up one's children oneself as a good job to do. I think its importance is very under appreciated.

Totally agree

Baggs

We need to stop talking about mothers of young children "going back to work". They are at work looking after their children. It really pisses me off that so few people recognise bringing up one's children oneself as a good job to do. I think its importance is very under appreciated.

I agree Baggs. I was able to stay at home with my third child having struggled to work and look after my other two whilst battling a disability. I was so relieved when my husband said he'd be happier if I stayed home. The worst people for looking down on me for such a decision were other women who actually chose to work in order to have a more grandiose lifestyle. I accepted their choice without judgement but couldn't understand why they found it so hard to accept mine. I had a fulfilling life volunteering where I could and being able to say no when family life needed me. I also cared for elderly members of my family where I could. It felt like work to me!

We need to stop talking about mothers of young children "going back to work". They are at work looking after their children. It really pisses me off that so few people recognise bringing up one's children oneself as a good job to do. I think its importance is very under appreciated.

Saetana

The point Miriam Cates was making is that the government currently appears to see mothers purely as economic units and is doing everything it can to get them back to work as soon as possible. She wants provision made for mothers, who choose to do so, to be able to stay at home and care for their own children in those important pre-school years rather than having to pay for very expensive childcare - even with the help the government gives. Currently most mothers are forced to return to work very early for financial reasons - even if they do not want to. We no longer value motherhood - whilst bemoaning the fact our birthrate has dropped well below replacement rate. If it was more economically viable for mothers to stay home for a bit longer with their children then I am sure more would do so. Nobody is suggesting mothers should be forced to stay home with the children if they do not want to, and of course the option should also apply to fathers potentially taking on the role of main childcarer. What on earth is wrong with that?

I agree with this. We undervalue both mothers and children in this country. Motherhood is an extremely difficult job and it could be made easier by the right government policies.

BlueBelle

A baby is a gift, the parents are not always as much of a gift though
Baby number 3 I think that’s baby number 6 or is it 7 for Johnson !!

It's baby no 8 that we know of.

1/ 4 by his ex wife

2/ 1 by an affair whilst still with his ex

3/ A rumoured another baby by an another affair, whilst still with the ex, neither confirmed or denied.

4/ 2 abortions and 1 miscarriage, reportedly

His ex wife finally got rid of him when he was caught having the affair with Carrie and his ex was having treatment for cancer.

There was also talk he was cheating on Carrie with his hairdresser. The shock was he had a hairdresser. Not the affair.

For the record I don't know what women see in him either.

Miriam Cates seemed to be keen also to encourage women to have children instead of attending university. Does this sit well with you Saetana? It does not with me. I believe that gender should not be a factor in such decisions, on a personal level as a parent of male and female graduates, but also as a patient of a female doctor and dentist.

The point Miriam Cates was making is that the government currently appears to see mothers purely as economic units and is doing everything it can to get them back to work as soon as possible. She wants provision made for mothers, who choose to do so, to be able to stay at home and care for their own children in those important pre-school years rather than having to pay for very expensive childcare - even with the help the government gives. Currently most mothers are forced to return to work very early for financial reasons - even if they do not want to. We no longer value motherhood - whilst bemoaning the fact our birthrate has dropped well below replacement rate. If it was more economically viable for mothers to stay home for a bit longer with their children then I am sure more would do so. Nobody is suggesting mothers should be forced to stay home with the children if they do not want to, and of course the option should also apply to fathers potentially taking on the role of main childcarer. What on earth is wrong with that?

Congratulations to Boris and Carrie! This will be his 8th child (so far as we know, there are rumours...) and their 3rd. Boris clearly has strong swimmers and is apparently doing his best to deal with the UK's falling birth rate single-handedly

Wonderful to welcome a new baby into the world. 😊 congratulations to them

eazybee

Nobody seems to have considered the possibility that perhaps it is Carrie Johnson who wants another baby.

Some really unpleasant comments above.

Nobody seems to have considered the possibility that perhaps it is Carrie Johnson who wants another baby.

That is quite possible.

It could also have been an unplanned pregnancy.

I'm not at all impressed with either him or her, but I genuinely hope she has an uncomplicated birth and a healthy baby.

eazybee

Nobody seems to have considered the possibility that perhaps it is Carrie Johnson who wants another baby.

Some really unpleasant comments above.

Agree

Re not looking pregnant my aunt had a neighbour who refused to believe the baby in aunt's pram.was her own as she had not looked pregnant at all. I never got very big myself. Child-bearing hips.

Nobody seems to have considered the possibility that perhaps it is Carrie Johnson who wants another baby.

Some really unpleasant comments above.

Since when has Johnson honoured his ‘position of responsibility’? 😅

(Not laughing at you, Jane)

The elephant in the room is that there are too many people on the planet. Perhaps fathers in positions of responsibility should restrict themselves to fathering no more than two children.

Two marriages, Farmor
Is that definitely the case?

If Boris's previous marriage was not in a Catholic Church, it wouldn't count as a "proper" marriage! So there would be no marriage to be annulled.

They would have had annulment in order to get married in a Catholic church.

Why is this cause for celebration? Narcissistic parents do tend to damage their children, poor little mite. Still, he os she will have everything that money - ill-gotten or otherwise - can buy.

No wonder he needed a large loan on top of his not too meagre earnings.
But I do wish them well - a new baby is always a blessing.

I don’t think Johnson had the affair with Carrie with the idea of starting a new family. I doubt that he thought ahead to the fact that she was a young woman who would want children. Being in the public eye ( especially as PM) meant that he had to make an honest woman of her. It still astounds me that Conservative voters were happy to have someone leading their party with a young girlfriend in tow (having left his wife and children): I always thought that Conservative values were conservative.

I think it is a decision to be made by Boris and Carrie and theirs alone. If people want to make a decision to have less children because of their ecological concerns, then that is their business.

Personally, I think BJ is very selfish, wanting more children at his age. He might not see these latest three offspring grow up! If he lives into his 70s they’ll still be at school! I know they won’t go short and they’re probably already on the list for Eton, but he should be happy to be a Grandad and leave the baby production to a younger generation of Johnsons.

well yes- as long as he does not expect the tax payer to help support him, or loans with dodgy links, etc.

Dickens

eazybee

If Boris Johnson supports his offspring, as I believe he does, it is nobody else's business.

I rather feel this is the point. Well, up to a point.

As PM he was obviously going to be under the spotlight as far as his personal relationships are concerned.

But when does it become prurient and intrusive to delve into a high-profile individual's private life?

I absolutely detest the man - I believe he's a 'chancer', a narcissist, and underneath the carefully-curated buffoonery, a rather unpleasant individual (as some who know him have indicated) BUT - as I've said before - only he and those involved with him understand the dynamics of their relationships with him - we're only privy to what the media churns out about him.

Ultimately, if he's providing for his offspring - however chaotic his private life appears to us, it's his business. I will only really judge him on what he has done, politically. He, and all other PMs and politicians are entitled to a private life which won't necessarily conform to our own personal standards. Unless he's doing something illegal in his private live he should be allowed to run it, or ruin it, or whatever... that's why it's called a 'private' life!

Am with you on this Dickens there’s enough to damn him politically without all the gossipy garden fence stuff about him and his wife having another baby.Their life their family.