TY - JOUR SN - 0268-0939 ID - discovery10001607 AV - public EP - 548 JF - Journal of Education Policy N2 - This paper explores the ways in which working class mothers negotiate mothering and paid work. Drawing on interviews with 70 families with pre-school children, we examine how caring and working responsibilities are conceptualised and presented in mothers? narratives. Mothers showed a high degree of commitment to paid work and, in contrast to findings from an earlier study with middle class and professional mothers, did not feel that keeping their children at home with them was always the best option for the children. We suggest that working class mothers in the labour market remain at risk of being defined as inadequate mothers because of a middle class emphasis on intense maternal engagement with the child as a key aspect of ?good? mothering. IS - 5 A1 - Braun, Annette A1 - Vincent, Carol A1 - Ball, Stephen VL - 23 Y1 - 2008/09// UR - https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10001607/ SP - 533 KW - Sociology KW - Parental employment KW - childcare KW - class KW - mothers TI - 'I'm so much more myself now, coming back to work' - working class mothers, paid work and childcare ER -