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> The UK Parliament was not designed for women with children

Are there any high profile career that are? Hell, even normal jobs for that matter. I can't imagine why there should be exceptions for more than well paid politicians with stellar career.

I can't imagine hiring a lawyer taking care of kids while working for him, even if he's not doing it on my time. Or my coworkers who can leave work every day for child concerns.

Yet here so many of us are, working from home, which typically involves dealing with children on occasion, and doing fine.

I'm sorry your coworkers get privileges you don't, but yeah, why should mothers (well, parents, but mothers typically still do the bulk of parenting in the early years) be excluded from being part of the group of people who represent your country and make decisions on its behalf? I'm personally, a big fan.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/babies-in-the-...

Politicians, whatever gender or creed are there to represent their constituents. If they spend 50% of their day babysitting it’s a bad deal for their constituents and the public at large. Trying to make this into a sexist argument is ridiculous.
Sometimes childcare arrangements fall through. Would you rather your representative missed a critical vote than hold onto a baby?
Politicians miss votes all the time, we're not talking about "An emergency came up and I had to take my kid" but "I attempted to hold a full time position working, and be a full time parent at the same time". Very few people can hold down two full time jobs successfully (and I question the definition of success on some who do, while acknowledging that through luck or hard work some people are actually that effective).

Taking care of children is a full time job. It is not one that can't be accomplished by three part-timers, and I know many successful two-income families who split the responsibility between two parents and a grandparent or nanny.

Taking time off to take care of your kids is an absolute necessity. Being a primary caregiver and holding down a full time job is absolutely untenable.

Plenty of working single parents.
Proxy voting is very much an option in this case.