‘I’m so much more myself now, coming back to work’ - working class mothers, paid work and childcare.

I think being with me it would have just been not enough for her, I think it
would have been just too boring. Even the time - even in holidays when she
is with me more, like I have to kind of wrack my brains and just think of so
many things to do each day, because I just do not want her to get bored; I think
it’s not fair on her. [] And I don’t think I’m equipped enough to kind of keep
that up on a long-term basis in terms of teaching her and making sure she’s
ahead, or on the same level, as other children that attend a nursery. (Claudette,
one child, black Caribbean, lone mother, ft student, baby went to a
childminder from nine months and nursery from age two)

Being at home with young children when money and space are limited can be
stressful. Earlier we noted that much of the middle class mothers and their children’s
socialising appear to happen around commercial children’s activities and reciprocal
visits with other mothers, a phenomenon also observed in other research (Byrne
2006). Not having enough money to enjoy time at home with their children was felt
acutely by the working class interviewees:

Because even still being an at-home mum, even just to go out on a general trip
to the park, you even need to have money in your pocket. Because you’ll pass
the ice-cream van and like, you know, they’re thirsty and they want a drink;
they’ve come off the swing, they want a packet of crisps. Like all the way it’s
spending, spending, so.... Ideally, if I could be at home, and I’m financially
better off, then that would be my choice. But, you know, right now I’d like to

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