Sorry Ashton Kutcher, You Should Probably Wash Your Kids Before They re Visibly Dirty huffingtonpost.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from huffingtonpost.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A friend at baby group
“My best friend and I had babies 12 weeks apart and we loved it,” says Sarah Nichols, from Wiltshire. “Having someone I knew to go to baby groups with was invaluable, as I’m an anxious person. I don’t think I would have gone otherwise.”
Having someone to hang out with
“Myself and my neighbour had a baby four days apart in May 2020,” says Alexia Sparrow, 27, from east London. “We both work in a school and are the same age. It’s amazing. We’re on the same page with everything! We share dinners, tips and tricks. We walk with the babies and go to the park most days. It’s been a blessing to have somebody in the same boat so close by during lockdowns.”
Are you and your friends still socially compatible? telegraph.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telegraph.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Children at the Willow Nursery in Clapham during a mood class
Credit: Andrew Crowley
There is a perfect storm brewing in pre-school childcare. Nannies are in high demand as pulled-out parents juggle homeschooling and full-time work. Yet nanny-sharing – and other creative arrangements that make it more affordable – are off the kitchen table for now.
The supply of live-in au pairs, a well-used solution for busy households in urban areas, is under threat too, with effortless travel restricted in the short term by Covid and the longer term (potentially) by Brexit.
Childminders, or ‘carebnbs’ as they are now being dubbed, have experienced problems as well. Many families withdrew children from their care entirely over the last year (although that is not a legal requirement), uncomfortable with exposing themselves to four or five other households.