Em@il Jury

With more young people admitting to feeling depressed, is the decline in stay-at-home mums partly to blame?

It is lonely for a child with a working mum. I could go days without seeing mine. Mums should be at home for their children but Governments put pressure on them to get a job.

– Lorraine Anderson, Edinburgh.

My mother worked and I have never felt depressed. I think depression is caused by the pressure put on young people to get the best grades and jobs.

Anything else is regarded as failure.

– Steven Richardson, Highlands.

Today’s mums need to work along with dads to give their families a decent standard of living.

– Bill Bell, Nottingham.

Working parents have so little contact with their children that they don’t get the opportunity to learn naturally what parenting means. We are seeing increasing numbers of new mums and dads who have no parenting skills whatsoever.

– Ian Roxburgh, Kilmaurs.

My stay-at-home mother was always there for my brother and I, and it did help us feel loved and secure. – Liz Kelly, Glasgow.

We stayed at home to look after our children, no problem. We were there to enjoy each other and watch them grow up.

– Margaret Brown, Rutherglen. Wish I could have afforded to be a stay-at-home mum.

– Margaret Gibb, Fife.

I have no problem with working women, but women have to appreciate that only one sex is capable of conceiving, giving birth and breastfeeding. Unfortunately, it just happens to be them.

– Davie Kerr, Lochaber. It’s more likely depression is caused by isolated children thinking online friends are real friends. Take away mobile phones and computers: problem solved! – Allison Scotland, Roxburghshire.