Childcare
I was the third of four brothers. During our connected childhoods, our parents did not spend a single penny on childcare. Our mum was normally at home but she did earn money by teaching a few evening classes - specialising in mixed crafts that ranged from glove making and basket weaving to the creation of lampshades. She could turn her hand to anything. Her income paid for extras such as holidays and special Christmas presents. In the nineteen fifties and early sixties, the necessity for mothers to supplement family incomes was not as great as it is now. Nursery schools and other childcare facilities were not as widespread nor as vital as they are today. At the start of this week, I had to give my daughter a big hug because after a year out she was going back to work. It had suddenly hit her that it would be a huge wrench to leave Baby Margot after seven months of devotion to her care and development. In August, Margot will spend three days a week at the local nursery school ...