Daycare nightmare
Working while pregnant can present problems of fatigue and sickness - but these are nothing compared to the problems of working motherhood. How do you ensure that your baby or toddler is safe and happy when you go back to work?
In the last ten years, the proportion of mothers of children under five who are in employment in the UK has risen by more than 10%. I would have expected that the growing demand for economical and high-quality childcare would have fuelled the childcare industry with new ideas and expanding provision. No. It’s still a struggle to find the right childcare option, and many women give up – whatever their intentions before the birth.
If you work full time, what you need for your under-five is flexible care, convenient, secure and suitable to your child’s needs. Playgroups, pre-school nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools simply do not last long enough to cover the working day. They rarely start till 9.30am and they usually finish around 3pm. Someone has to pick the child up and look after it until you come home. Then there are the holidays. 15% of under-fives use more than one type of care.
By far the most usual option is parking your baby or pre-schooler with your own mother, sister or other relative.
A huge proportion of under-fives – up to 40% - is looked after this way in the UK, at least part of the time. If you trust your relatives this promotes the most peace of mind. It is home-based, and the carer is almost as emotionally involved with your offspring as you are.
If you are lucky enough to have a suitable relative, don’t ever take it for granted that this is free - offer the market rate for the care. You can check with the local authority on the rate for child-minding in your area. This might easily be turned down, but don’t assume that money doesn’t come into the relationship just because DNA does. These arrangements break down very fast if the carer feels exploited. The same goes for friends and neighbours.
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