I was chatting to someone yesterday, and she asked if my DD1 goes to childcare. She doesn't. The person I was chatting to does use childcare, full time. I don't have a problem with her doing it, I've known her a long time and she's a great mum, who chooses to work, and is a really inspiring person. I don't know what it is, but this conversation makes me really uncomfortable. It happens often, other mums ask if I use childcare, which I don't. My background is in early childhood and I think I'm scared that they'll ask why, and I don't know how to answer diplomatically.

I guess I'm just wondering how it looks from the other side of the conversation; I'm really conscious of confrontation. (Not that I avoid it, necessarily, but I like to preempt it where I can) So if you were this mum, how might the conversation make you feel, and how do I approach it?