My daughter has to work to survive. She is a teacher at a college, working 4 days a week. She takes her twin boys to a childminder on her way to work, and picks them up at five on her way home. Sometimes I pick them up, and every other week her ex-partner picks them up a couple of times. She pays nearly £60 a day for them both and the childminder is motherly and provides lots of educational and fun activities for them. They socialise with other children most days. On Fridays, they have a special day when mummy is home to do lots of things together. I really admire her for the way she has organised her life, giving priority to her boys. If she lived on benefits, they would have a difficult time. In September, they will start school and things will get easier, she will work five days a week, and be able to commit herself to a managerial post, which she has turned down while the boys have been so young.
Her view is that she is a role model for her children and should instill a strong work ethic in them.
Childcare is ridiculously expensive in this country. There are few ways to reduce the cost - she did have childcare vouchers for a while, and gets reduced tax credits, now the boys are entitled to 15 hours of educational input from the qualified childminder, who has done her degree to further her own need to support her children. Yesterday, she provided school bags for the boys, as they are spending time each week preparing for school days. They get a good quality of care from her, and my daughter knows they are happy and safe.
Harry and Meghan ‘royal’ tour of Nigeria.
Forgetting where you left your keys does not mean you are “losing it”
