Special Edition

Hang on! Is that a milk stain on your notebook?

Toothpaste on your jacket?

That can only mean one thing - you, my friend, have kids!?

They’re very much the topic for this week’s edition of Before 5 on Friday, whether you’re a parent or not.

So, before the laptop closes (which rarely happens) and you head home for the weekend, I just want to grab your attention for something that I think is really important.

The cost of childcare.?

Again, you don’t have to be a parent to appreciate the significance of this conversation. I bet you have plenty of friends or family who’ve shared their experiences of paying for childcare, or sacrificing certain luxuries or home comforts to make it work for them.?

Unfortunately, it’s a growing problem that is crippling young families today, regardless of where they live or what each parent does for a job.

I wanted to share the realities of raising a family from our point of view, and from the perspective of other families with one, or both parents, working for the National Health Service (NHS).

It gets a bit heavy in places, but I really hope that you’ll bear with me until the end.

Parenting Insight: The True Cost of Childcare

For those of you familiar with kids, you’ll know life with three young children under five is, well, anything but calm. It’s wonderful, full of joy, but undeniably chaotic. Our twins have just celebrated their second birthday, and we also have a four-year-old.?

But here’s something I don’t often talk about—my wife, Sophie. She often works over 50 hours a week as a doctor, though her role is officially classified as 80% of full-time. It’s a common scenario for NHS staff, one that is rarely acknowledged but often endured.

Naturally, I wanted to understand why.

I started to think about something that affects families across the country: the cost of childcare. I introduced it in last week’s newsletter, but just to recap -

For many families, the expense of childcare consumes around a quarter of their income.? Of course, this is much higher if you’re one of those real life superheroes who live amongst us - the single parent. The cost is often well beyond 40%, especially for families living in the south of England, or other high-cost regions.

The issue, however, goes further than just the financial strain. It often places an unfair burden on parents, especially women, who often feel the pressure and emotional turmoil of choosing between their careers, and spending those early years with their children.?

It forces some to reduce their hours. In our case, Sophie initially returned post-maternity at 60%, before increasing to 80%. She was, and is, very conscious of the time extension this places on her eventually becoming a consultant. There are days that Sophie comes home after a long shift, knowing she has to be back at the hospital in a few hours, and still has to juggle childcare, exhaustion, and her career aspirations. The prospect feels like an almost impossible task.?

For others, it’s often worse. They’re forced to leave their jobs altogether. The long-term consequences? It’s slowing down career progression, undermining national prosperity, and ultimately, is a major driver of a mental health crisis.?

Consider this: The risk of suicide for female doctors is 76% higher than the general population (evidenced in research published recently within the BMJ journal ). That’s absolutely staggering isn’t it? It’s also very worrying, especially if it could impact someone you love.

In fact, in England between September 2022 and September 2023, an estimated 15,000 to 23,000 doctors left their career in the NHS “early”. According to the BMA , the cost to the NHS and the public purse of replacing those doctors is estimated at ￡1.6 to ￡2.4 billion. The continued health and economic burden is staggering…

I continued my research.

It led me to some startling figures from the House of Commons Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Committee: “54,000 women a year in the UK are pushed out of their jobs for becoming pregnant or taking maternity leave.” When you factor in the challenges of the pandemic and the current economic climate, you can begin to grasp the magnitude of this issue. Campaigners like Joeli Brearley from Pregnant Then Screwed, have done extraordinary work to shed light on this—you should follow her if you’re not already. I’d also urge you to consider supporting campaigns like Pregnant Then Screwed or Flex Appeal where you can.

But the question still remains: what about those working within the NHS?

Did you know that the UK already faces some of the highest childcare costs globally? The global average is 9%, whereas in the UK, this rises to 26% of the household income being spent on childcare. More than double, (or closer to triple) the OECD average. For NHS workers, these pressures are compounded by a system that seemingly doesn’t fully account for the actual hours they put in. True, the Working Time Directive caps weekly hours at 48, but for many, this is simply an aspirational target, not the lived reality. Just ask my wife!

The situation seems so unjust and unsustainable. I can’t help but feel that the root causes of this problem are being overlooked, and I’m left wondering why.

Now, I appreciate this isn’t my usual newsletter topic. But this issue is too important to ignore. I’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences.

So, let me ask you:

If you’re a parent, how are you managing the cost of childcare??

What sacrifices have you had to make??

If you work in the NHS, does my assessment reflect your experience??

And for those of you without children, has the cost of living and the cost of childcare made you rethink starting a family?

I’d love to hear from you. I sense the beginning of a much-needed, wider conversation here—one that could, and probably should, lead to real, lasting change.

Oh, and I’ve written an op-ed on this. If you’d like a copy, just comment the word “Archie” below, and I’ll DM you a copy.

There’s nothing cryptic about this—Archie’s our dog, and he’d appreciate some LinkedIn love.

I think that’s probably enough for this week - we’ll be back to our usual content next week…unless you enjoy these deeper dives? In which case I’d be happy to share more. There’s lots we can discuss! Let me know in a reply.

Until then, Stay present. Stay focused. Stay inspired.

Pete