Can working women have it all?

I echo all of this with my daughter, granjura. Her girls (now nine and six) went to nursery full-time, made a smooth transition to school and you couldn't wish for a happier pair of children. They have a very tight routine of one partner leaving at the crack of dawn for London and the other taking the children to breakfast club, then the one who starts work before eight, leaves to pick the girls up from the childminder, while the other stays late in London. They are a strong family unit and although they get tired, they cope. My daughter and her husband both enjoy their jobs (as we did) and maybe this is one of the important factors in making it work.

In Louise's case, it is not being an MP (although hours are horrendous)- but the fact her husband is in the USA - and they have to live apart. A totally different kettle of fish, surely.

My daughter is a high-flyer, got a great job with a large firm after her Degree, rose up the ranks and is now the partner of an excellent firm, with a large team under her management. It's tough - tough on her mainly, but she just loves her job and feels that we will never get good women at the top if they just 'give up' all the hard work. And she has our full support and admiration.

They employ a Nanny full-time, and at the start, it cost her a huge proportion of her salary (same pay as a primary school teacher+ social payments, pensions, and a car). Mum, dad and nanny work as a brilliant team- and I can truly say the kids do not suffer at all. For them it is the norm- and they have fantastic week-ends and holidays together. It takes a lot of organisation and team-work, cooperation and so much more. And of course there are failures on the way... perhaps as many, as failures in those relationships where Mum's brain, imagination and talent is nurtured then wasted. Not easy, yes I know - but it can be done. My daughter would go spare as a full-time mum, and frustrated working at a part-time job where she could not use her brain to the full. Good on her and all like her. It is not that they are ambitious, hard and not good mums- not at all.

I must admit that my first thought on hearing about her resignation was, "I wonder how long that marriage will survive?"