Being a stay-at-home-Mum (or Dad) is the most important job in the whole world. I will brook no argument. Of course that doesn't mean that it suits every everyone. Better a happy career Mum than a depressed, unfulfilled stay-at-home.

My wife D (Supermum) - has looked into doing an Excel course. This is great news! Not because we need her to go out to work, although I'm sure the extra money would come in handy, but because I think it will do her good to get away from the house and cleaning up after me and the three kids. ;) I have been treading carefully around this topic. I don't want to be seen to be devaluing the clean house and all that, but I also want D to have more of a sense of self and purpose outside of home. I get that, the children get it at school, so why shouldn't she?

I've done plenty of Excel, so why don't I train her? Because that would spell doom on our relationship. Apparently I'm either patronising or confusing-with-too-much-detail, never in-between. We don't work well in a learner-pupil context, either way round I suspect. Is it the same in all marriages?