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| Call to pay stay-at-home parents | Call to pay stay-at-home parents |
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| Single parents should be paid by the state to stay at home and look after their youngsters, according to Scotland's children's commissioner. | Single parents should be paid by the state to stay at home and look after their youngsters, according to Scotland's children's commissioner. |
| Kathleen Marshall's comments came after the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of a "crisis" in modern childhood. | Kathleen Marshall's comments came after the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of a "crisis" in modern childhood. |
| Professor Marshall said she would like to see more choice for parents. | Professor Marshall said she would like to see more choice for parents. |
| She said: "For single mothers, there should be the option of being supported by the state if need be, rather than them going back to work." | She said: "For single mothers, there should be the option of being supported by the state if need be, rather than them going back to work." |
| Back to work | Back to work |
| Prof Marshall told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that when formulating policies that encourage "and sometimes almost force single parents back into work", the impact on their children had to be considered. | Prof Marshall told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that when formulating policies that encourage "and sometimes almost force single parents back into work", the impact on their children had to be considered. |
| She said: "I agree completely with some of the policies about work being the best way out of poverty in the current system and that many single parents will actually benefit from it with little impact on their children. | She said: "I agree completely with some of the policies about work being the best way out of poverty in the current system and that many single parents will actually benefit from it with little impact on their children. |
| "I think there are many who would prefer to be at home with their children and the children would benefit from that." | "I think there are many who would prefer to be at home with their children and the children would benefit from that." |
| "What I want is for the children's welfare to be remembered in accordance with government policy and international law when these decisions are being taken." | "What I want is for the children's welfare to be remembered in accordance with government policy and international law when these decisions are being taken." |
| We are squeezing valuable human time out of children's lives Kathleen MarshallScotland's children commissioner href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=3901&edition=1" class="">Send us your views | |
| Prof Marshall's comments followed a speech by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. | Prof Marshall's comments followed a speech by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. |
| He said parenting skills should be promoted, so parents could share their problems rather being dictated to by experts. | He said parenting skills should be promoted, so parents could share their problems rather being dictated to by experts. |
| And he also said he felt there was too much emphasis on mothers returning to work. | And he also said he felt there was too much emphasis on mothers returning to work. |
| Prof Marshall added that the best way to support children was to support their parents. | Prof Marshall added that the best way to support children was to support their parents. |
| She said: "One of the things we are doing just now is squeezing valuable human time out of children's lives. | She said: "One of the things we are doing just now is squeezing valuable human time out of children's lives. |
| "When they hang around with their friends, we disperse them. We put barriers in the way of innocent well-meaning adults acting with children. | "When they hang around with their friends, we disperse them. We put barriers in the way of innocent well-meaning adults acting with children. |
| "The time parents have to spend with their children is becoming ever smaller because of work." | "The time parents have to spend with their children is becoming ever smaller because of work." |