Last Monday (7th March), Sophie Raworth presented a documentary on BBC2 about the burden facing modern parents – and there was certainly enough in there to make working parents feel guilty.
In the programme, a number of academics sounded warnings about the downside of nursery care, and also warned that no matter how much parents try, many will still not be spending enough ‘quality time’ with their children.
It’s important to be realistic, however, and most working parents are simply not able to spend as much time as they’d like with their children. After all, providing money to pay the bills and put food on the table is also central to being a good parent –childminders and day-care are therefore an absolute necessity for many people.
Employers can actually do a great deal to help parents afford quality childcare during the hours that they’re working. Setting up a childcare voucher scheme, for example, can enable parents to save a significant amount of money every year.
So, even though childcare might not always be the perfect option, at least having good quality cover will allow parents the peace of mind to know that their children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing environment.
