Deciding whether to work or not may simply be a matter of financial necessity. It may be a desire to maintain a certain standard of living. On the other hand deciding not to work means coping with a loss of income. This brings a different set of issues and often a need to adapt your lifestyle.

Through this section we hope that mothers will share their experiences of coping with the financial pressures they feel as a family.

"I think it is harder for our generation of mothers to adjust to not earning. I was an old mum and so had 15 years of earning my own money before I gave up to have a family. I found it so hard to spend money I hadn't earned, even though I had earned a good percentage of the family's income before I had children! It was ok to spend on my husband and children but not on me, I even begrudged dentist visits and four monthly haircuts. I felt so much better when I started to bring in some money again. It was a struggle on one salary, but this wasn't so much the issue as the fact I felt so loathe to spend the money we had got." "As a family we have gradually adjusted to living on one salary. My husband and I were worried to begin with but over time we have realised that our standard of living has not suddenly dropped. OK we don't go on the fancy foreign holidays we used to but on a day to day basis things are still much the same." "One of the hard parts of not working is having to rely on my partner for money and not being able to treat myself to those little luxuries"

If you find you are struggling with any aspect of parenting including financial problems you can find help and support through:

SUPPORT LINK

PARENTLINE PLUS Parentline Plus gives parents somewhere to turn before a problem becomes a crisis. They provide help and information to anyone looking after a child. If you don't feel able to talk to those around you try calling Parentline Plus free helpline where you can talk to someone in confidence about your worries. Free helpline: 0808 800 2222 Free textphone helpline: 0800 783 6783 (for people with hearing or speech impairment) Parentline Plus also offers information on parenting courses. www.parentlineplus.org.uk