Madam, - In her column of April 16th Breda O'Brien writes about the needs of children and the question of the effects that long hours of childcare have on them.
Some time ago I attended a European conference on childcare. A German representative referred enthusiastically to the practice in Germany of weekend childcare so that parents could shop in peace. Furthermore, there were children's hotels where children stayed to facilitate child free holidays. I am glad to say that the Irish delegates were not enthused by this.
Biologically and humanly, mothers are equipped to be the primary carers of their children. In a recent survey, only a very small percentage of men said they would like the job of homemaker.
Men go out to work because they love their families and want to support them. This is not lost on their children. They know that they care for them even though their fathers cannot always be there. It is, however, desirable that they have time outside working hours to spend with their children.
The problem in this country is that we have an anti-family Government. Youths roam the streets, unsupervised and uncared for. This is not surprising as both parents are working and the homes where they should receive love and nurture are empty.
Feminism has also played its part in degrading the role of full-time mothers and yet they are the most vocal in bemoaning their stressed lives and "juggling" their various roles.
Depriving a baby of its primary carer, the mother, at an early age is a recipe for future emotional and dysfunctional behaviour. As the phenomenon of the abandonment of babies to paid carers is a new trend in this country, it will be interesting to see the effects on mental health in the years to come. - Yours, etc.,
MONICA BARBER, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.