I’m having a school holiday meltdown, and it’s only week two of the summer holidays – and Imogen isn’t even at full time school yet. Aaargh!!!

As usual it’s those little things that have conspired to make the school holidays just that little bit unmanageable, and panic has set in.

I had intended to take the school holidays off paid work in order to look after Imogen but even so I still do need a bit of time to a) update and write for this site b) do and get freelance work and go for job interviews and c) take some time out to fit in gym visits (which allow me to blow dry my hair and look fairly presentable, not too mention help with stress levels).

The thing is, none of these are likely to get done any time soon. Why? Well:

The holiday club I was intending Imogen to go to only had two days spare the whole six weeks of the holidays. I guess this is my fault but the lady who runs the club took several days to get back to me, after a couple of messages left on her mobile phone,  during which time no doubt other days were booked.

The creche at the gym I’m a member has decided it is no longer a creche and will only take on children for nursery places. This means my one hour trips to the gym which include a workout and or shower with precious time to blow dry my hair are now impossible. I would often sneak in an email – with a feature or story idea – after a workout. So that thinking time is now gone. I wonder what the other mums at the gym think?

I have no relatives around to help pick up the slack and it’s not fair to ask them.

Now some mums I know seem to be able to fit all these things in, around looking after children. But I just can’t – evenings are for me precious time with Andrew.

One friend who doesn’t do juggling (but has a successful career a young child and financial stability) reminded me that it’s actually illegal to try and work while looking after a young child.

My one attempt – I tried sending an email while Imogen was having her lunch – ended in a tantrum, and made me feel even more guilty.

I’m only managing to get my paid consultancy work in first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  In order to get everything done I’m going to have to get a childminder!

Wish me luck x

Our mummy blogger holds down a high profile job and has two young children (3 and 1). And she often asks herself ‘how do I do it?’

My youngest has his first birthday tomorrow and what an eventful year it has been!

We’ve spent so much time in hospitals during the last 12 months that I wish I had invested in an annual season ticket for the car park –which, of course,would have eliminated the need to scrabble around for change in the early hours of the morning while the little man was struggling to draw breath.

Anyway, things are beginning to look brighter for the little guy and we received good news on our recent check-up so decided to enjoy the moment over a late breakfast in the hospital canteen.

I soon became enraged, however, when I was charged 80 pence for one banana! In my view, that was even more outrageous than the hourly cost of the car park at £2.20!

The irony of course was that the same canteen was selling small packets of biscuits for 55 pence!   If only I had the time to write to the  Chief Executive of the Trust and the  local newspaper…

This incident has also reminded me that I need to write to the manager of our local department store in relation to the relocation of certain departments… The location of the homeware department has been swapped with the children’s’ clothing department. This now means that the homeware department sits in between the baby changing facilities and the café – the stomping ground for the under-2s  Genius!

Whilst waiting in the homeware department for a family member to return from the loo, the little man seized his opportunity to explore his new playground and the following sequence of events unfolded:

1. Little man grabs packet of rice cakes from my handbag
2. Little man begins to distribute the rice cakes over the shop floor, while I attempt to pick up the discarded rice cakes quicker than he can throw them on the floor before he manages to pick them up and eat them!
3. I don’t notice that he has picked up a bottle of champagne.
4. I am startled by the sound of glass smashing and the baby crying simultaneously…
5. Family member returns from the loo and sees the destruction
6. Family member takes the nearest escalator to another floor
7. I have become one of those mothers…

More from our working mum in the city.

You don’t have to be a (paid) working parent to know that the cost of childcare has gone up in the last few years. The price of just about everything else has, food, energy, rent/mortgages, so why shouldn’t childcare?

But even we were  shocked by figures published by the Daycare Trust.

The charity, which provides information for families and childcare providers, said nursery costs for children under two have soared by six per cent in the last year.

It said some day nurseries were charging up to £300 a week for an average part time place. That’s far more  than a top private day school.

Of course this comes at a time when wages haven’t gone up.

So why are nurseries charging so much. Well lack of availability across the UK doesn’t help.

The Daycare Trust said half of local councils had reported lack of nursery places in the last year.

And a tax credit cut means 44,000 fewer families are getting help with childcare.

Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said: “It is sheer folly that any parent has to leave work because they cannot afford to pay for childcare but this is becoming the reality.”

The Daycare Trust study was only based on part-time care. this means parents enrolling young children for as much as 50 hours-a-week could be paying up £30,000, as much as boarding fees at schools such as Eton and Harrow.

This is not news to working parents. In fact many of us just accept it.

Samantha says: “When Imogen was younger I took a new job because it appeared to offer me a slight pay rise. The problem was I was expected to work longer hours in the office, which in the end meant I had to spend £200 a month more on childcare.”

“This wiped away any salary increase I might have had (plus the need to get taxis because of the terrible train service last year). Thankfully the employer eventually let me work from home but by then I’d was tied into a notice contract with my childminder.”

“Each month we had about £15 left disposable income. We didn’t have a choice but it left me worried most of the time and am sure it affected my work. Now being self employed we can choose our own hours.”

What is the solution? In Europe countries like Denmark have subsidised childcare.

Both parents there expect to work, and to have flexible working hours.

We could get angry but we won’t – we’ve got  jobs to do.