Last week saw some big changes in spending from the government and mixed in with all the cuts is that single Mum’s are now having to go back to work from the time their children are 7, previously it had been age 10. This comes as single mums with a child over the age of 7 will now be pressured to find work and will only be eligible to recieve job seekers allowance.

Single Mums will recieve job seekers allowance from the age their child or children are aged 7, this means single Mums are being forced to try to find work  of at least 16 hours a week while their child is at school. You may think this is fair enough as they don’t need to be at home on their own but for many single Mums finding flexible jobs that will allow you time to take your child to school and pick them up after school is very difficult.

By working these additional hours many single Mums will have to pay out for extra child care or pay for after school clubs for their children, you have to remember many single Mums don’t recieve emotional or financial support from their childrens dad’s. By having to shell out for childcare or clubs this means even by working many Mums will be worse off as child care can be very expensive.

These are of course the lucky Mums that can find work, with the economic climate as it is the number of jobs available are at a minimum and many employers will not want to employ a single Mum who has to take time off everytime her child is ill as there is no one else to look after them. Although employers would not admit to this as it is ileagal if you have a small business you may not be able to afford to keep someone on who takes time off for dentist and doctors appointments for their kids, or comes in tired from cooking and cleaning or staying up late with a sick child.

What do you think of the changes to the spending? It is not just single Mums that are affected many other families will be losing money from the spending cuts, with benefits, tax credits, or child allowance. Have you been affected? Do you agree with the cuts? Discuss this and more on the My Mad Ex Divorce forum.

Cougar is a recent term that describes an older single woman that preys on younger men for a relationship, Cougars are generally very attractive and well presented although some argue they are dressed too young for their age. Cougars tend to be divorced or separated, and some have families but they all embrace their new found singledom to have fun and meet younger attractive young men.

The term Cougar has become very popular with TV shows like Cougar Town, How I met your mother and other shows that make reference to the phenomenom. The older person with younger person in a relationship has always stereotypically been the sugar daddy with beautiful young women as their partners. These relationships are often assosciated with the stereotype of a golddigger female as most people feel a young attractive woman will only go with an older man if it is for their money.

The Cougar is a different stereotype, at first I thought it was the female equivalent of a Sugar Daddy, as equal rights come into play why shuoldn’t women have the same fun as men? However the Cougar is much more as younger men are attracted to these older women for their experience (culture and sexual), and these women often look amazing for their age- or any age! Think Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

Women who become Cougars are typically women who married or got into a long term relationship very young, they often have children and are single mums but have some disposable income for nice clothes, grooming and going out. But in reality Cougars are any older woman that has come out of a relationship and wants fun, they often choose younger men as they are less likely to pressure into settling down quickly.

Studies have showed, from dating site stats, that the Cougar is actually a myth and older women are not actually preying on younger men in this way. Many consider the Cougar to be a myth developed by dating agencies who want to push together the older sophistcated woman with the toy boy. However from most surveys and dating site activities it seems women are looking for someone the same age or older.

What do you think? Are you a Cougar? Do you know a Cougar? Do you think there is no such thing as a Cougar and it is all in the media? Discuss your thoughts on our Divorce Forum.