Letter: A housewife's many skills

Sir: To get a most 'honest' costing your recent report (' pounds 18,000 price tag on working wife, 3 February') should go farther and include not just domestic/physical chores.

How about costing some of the other skills needed by this multi- talented group (male and female), ie, negotiating/diplomatic skills required to resolve all levels of family squabbles etc. Teaching skills are also required combined with basic understanding of various levels of engineering - why do aeroplanes fly? how do drains work? what makes car wheels go round? And the courage required to answer awkward questions when the world can hear - in a crowded cafe, for example - 'Mummy, why hasn't that man got any hair?'

What professional is one minute changing a nappy and the next explaining why wars happen?

Yours faithfully,

LESLEY WILLIAMS

King's Stanley,

Gloucestershire

4 February