Cherie Blair: give apprenticeships to stay-at-home mums "At a time when boosting economic growth is at the top of every politician's "to do" list, this would be a good place to start," Mrs Booth said in an essay for the 4Children charity. Mrs Blair, a mother of four, admits that when her older children were young she was so intent on "beating the men at their own game" that she didn't take real maternity leave. Mrs Blair said that worked so hard during her first pregnancy with son Euan that she was admitted to hospital for compulsory bed rest. "It is only now looking back that I realise I wasn't beating the system but reinforcing it," she wrote. The daughter of a working single mother and a self-described "latch-key kid" Mrs Blair argued that as well as doing more to help mothers go to work, the Government should offer more support to those who stay at home. Mrs Blair also quoted official statistics showing that there are currently 2 million women and around 200,000 men not working because of caring responsibilities. Of these, two thirds stay at home out of choice. Being a stay-at-home mum, she writes, is not a "lifestyle choice" like eating organic food" but instead a "highly personal decision about ensuring we create the "best environment for the next generation." She wrote: "Surely a mark of a progressive society, should not just be one where working parents can access the support and assistance they need to balance work and family life? It should also be one where parents who want to stay at home when their children are young do not feel judged or disadvantaged by their decision. Mrs Bair's arguments echo those of Sheryl Sandberg the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook who wrote a controversial book about women in the workforce. Earlier this year Ms Sandberg said that if they were going to properly accommodate mothers, companies needed to have a "much more open dialogue about gender" and recommended that companies discuss with their female employees whether they intend to have children.