Supermum? Not me, thanks

THE age of the Supermum is over. Having a high-flying job and a young family is no longer seen as a realistic ambition for the young women of today.

They have watched the previous generation pursuing that holy grail . . . and are unimpressed with what they saw. Most now plan to cut back on work commitments when they have children, a study shows.

Seven out of ten young women say they want to take it easier than their mothers did, and one in four would like to give up work altogether to raise a family. Many said they found females who combine a lucrative career with bringing up a family 'irritating' and 'unhelpful'.

Margi Conklin, editor of New Woman magazine, which commissioned the study, said: 'There is a fundamental shift in young women's attitudes towards life and work. They have seen their own mothers trying, and often failing, to 'have it all' and they've decided they don't want it all.

'They don't want to work crazy hours while their children are put into nurseries and their relationships disintegrate under the strain. Young women today are increasingly putting their personal happiness before a big salary or a high-powered career.'

The concept of the 'Superwoman' rose to prominence in the 1990s with role models such as Nicola Horlick, who combined a £1.5m-a-year City job with raising five children under the age of 11. Today, however, it is seen as either unattractive or unachievable.

New Woman surveyed 1,500 with an average age of 29 for its Young Woman's Lifestyle Survey. Only 11% wanted to put their children into nursery so they could work full-time.

Some 77% believed modern women were expected to fulfil too many roles, and 67% agreed the man should be the main provider for his family if possible. A quarter said they wanted to be full-time mothers, while 65% said they would work part-time because of 'financial demands'. Only 1% of those surveyed said their career would continue to be their 'top priority' once they had children.

Attitudes to marriage also appear to be changing. As many as 86% said they would rather be married before starting a family, while 75% thought married couples no longer made enough effort to stay together.

Seven out of ten women surveyed said seeing the success of famous females, including Madonna and Victoria Beckham, made them dissatisfied with their lives. More than half (51%) said they were worse off than they thought they would be at their age, while 54% said their finances were 'haphazard or out of control', with six out of ten in debt.

{1} Miss Conklin said: 'Young women today are bombarded with pictures of celebrities supposedly living the high life and they try to do the same. They spend more than they earn attempting to live a lavish lifestyle like their icons and it leaves them saddled with debt, financial despair and disappointment.'

Kate Winslet and Catherine Zeta Jones, despite their position as millionaire mothers, were quoted as the most inspiring celebrity role models. Some 89% of women surveyed professed to being 'unhappy' with their bodies although only 17% said they would have cosmetic surgery.

A living example of the new realism among women is Ali Draper, 26, who gave up her career running two beauty salons with husband Stefano to look after her children, Isabella, four, and Jazmine, two. She took the decision last year after realising she was missing out on watching her daughters grow up.

'Having money and a big career is not everything', said Mrs Draper, of Woodmansterne, Surrey. 'You can never buy back time you've missed with your husband and children. At first I wasn't sure I'd enjoy being at home all day - I loved being a businesswoman and have always been fiercely independent. But however much I loved my career, I enjoy being with my family more.'

She said that before giving up her job she had always been too exhausted to cook or give her children her full attention. 'They have really benefited from my decision, as has Stefano,' she said.