Where Would We Be Without Grandparents To Help With Childcare Costs?

Amongst my group of friends most of us mothers work, at least part time. We come from a generation of women who always expected to work and who have careers that we don't want to give up. We all enjoy spending time outside of the home doing something that we are good at and being a working mother is a great role model for your children.

If you are thinking about going back to work after having children one of your biggest worries will be childcare. You want good quality childcare, but you also want it to be cost effective. One of the best ways to make sure your children are looked after well but still save money on childcare is to ask your child's grandparents to help.

When I had my first child Bean ten years ago I never dreamed that I would give up work. But once I had her and I looked into the cost of childcare I was shocked. Essentially for working 4 days a week I would bring home £200 a month after childcare costs. Considering in travel expenses, the occasional lunch out and work clothes it really wasn't cost effective me returning to my job. I had no one to help me with childcare as my mother in law looked after her other grandchildren already and my mother still worked full time. Had I had help from one of the grandparents I would have been able to return to my job and career as I wouldn't have had the huge childcare bill.

Most of my friends have help from their child's grandparent's when it comes to looking after their children while they are at work, even if it is just for one day a week, it significantly reduces that nursery bill. There are always more grandparents than parents at the nursery pick up and there are plenty of grandparents on the school run too. It is wonderful that the elder generation can spend some quality time with their grandchildren while providing an amazing help to their own children. I know that many of my friends would be completely lost without this help from their parents.

Life is what it is and luckily for me I managed to forge a career working from home. I still need to rely on childcare but only for 3 mornings a week and I'm able to do the school run myself rather than paying for an after school club. My mum has recently retired and she is now fantastic with helping me look after Little Boy occasionally if I have a deadline or a lot of work on. It has meant that at busier times I haven't had to pay extra to put him into nursery for longer hours.

Do your child's grandparents help with childcare?

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