Mr Jeffries, I only said that women should not be forced to give up work upon becoming pregnant, not that they shouldn't do so if they wish.

Belinda Goldman, London,

Flexible working can be a false utopia. Even if it works well for some , it's not the whole answer to the problems we face. It puts pressure on families to manage parenthood on the margins of employment when actually it is a full time job, not only in the early years but also during the teenage years. Even if you manage to work flexibly in a typical week, you still have the problem of school holidays to sort out - do we really want our children to be home alone, roaming the streets? And it's all very well for the decently paid who can afford some domestic help, but what about parents who also have to sort out the domestic side -washing/ironing/cooking/cleaning. It's not fashionable to talk about the household stuff - but these jobs don't go away and it's all part of running a happy family home. Alongside family friendly employment legislation we need REAL choice for mothers - the choice to be at home - by offering decent pensions to mothers and valuing the job of raising kids.

Marie Peacock, Salisbury, Wiltshire

Ms Goldman is mistaken if she believes women who "give up work on becoming pregnant [will be] wasting the skills, education and experience of half the workforce". The skills a mother has are instead used to nurture children, impart knowledge and wisdom, deal wisely with family situations and ultimately to knit society together. That doesn't sound like a waste of skills to me.

Paul Jefferies, Newport, Wales