Before I had children, I just assumed that when they went to nursery and school full time, I would slip back into a well paid job, sweet as a nut, and we would catch up over a healthy dinner round the table, exchanging news of our days. Summer holidays would be endless days of freedom spent together and the money would just sit there in the bank waiting for us to spend it.
Reality Bites
The reality could not be more different. As my second child approaches nursery age, the bitter truth of this modern dilemma is finally hitting me. With no family nearby, how can we get our children to school at 9am, collect them at 3.15pm when school ends, and be available to look after them for the 12 weeks’ a year UK school holidays whilst holding down a full time job?
Childminders
There are childminders who charge around £6 to £7 an hour outside London. Assuming you are lucky enough to have four weeks annual leave a year and can take it during the school holidays, that will leave you with eight weeks’ full time paid child care per child. If your child needs collecting from school, you will need to pay a childminder in term time too until you can collect them. Often you pay for a place your child doesn’t use all the time, on a “retainer” basis. For an eight-hour day, you will be looking at between £48 and £56 per day. Some childminders charge a supplement for meals too.
Nannies
Nannies can ask for, and get, up to £15 an hour nett. A good nanny is like gold dust and the advantage is that she looks after your children exclusively and so are available for school pick-ups and can cover when you get stuck in traffic or have to work late. You would be looking at around £135 for a 9 hour day plus their tax and NI contributions. (Nannies often quote salaries as nett instead of gross, don’t ask me why).
Nurseries
A private Ofsted approved nursery has the advantage of staying open late for working parents (often until 6.30pm), and the disadvantage of fining parents who turn up later than the latest agreed time. You have to pay nursery fees if you are on holiday and if your child is ill. According to Babycentre, “the typical cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two is £152 a week, more than £7,900 a year.”
Help is at Hand
Of course, you can claim Working Tax Credit to help with these costs. Try the Turn2Us website to work out what you may be eligible to claim. However, there is still the question of what happens when your child is ill? Do you use up your annual leave or take unpaid leave? Will you be seen as a reliable candidate for promotion with unpredictable child sickness keeping you off unexpectedly? What if your flexible working request is refused?
Find the Path that Works for You
The solutions are varied. There is no right or wrong – every parent and child is different and has different needs and obligations. There are several types:
Type A – Both parents work full time and pay large child care bills, which may or not be subsidised.
Type B – One parent works, one stays at home. They struggle on one income but have no childcare fees.
Type C –One parent works full time and the other squeezes in low paid part time work around childcare and the other parent’s shift patterns. (An example would be an evening bar job or evening sales work)
There’s no dream solution to suit all parents. However, help is out there and if you are lucky enough to have willing and able grandparents nearby, treat them like VIPs. They are worth their weight in gold.
