Parents from all over the world: United Kingdom
Today we are going to start our page dedicated to mums from all over the world! We will find out the beauty and the challenges mums and dads living in different countries encounter while raising their kids, trying to balance work and family time.
Our first guest is Joyce from the United Kingdom. Here is her story.
Mum of two, Joyce has talked us about her life as mother in the UK, finding out a very busy mum balancing work as a woman running her own business and the precious time for her 2 and 7 year-old kids in the capital.
We have met Joyce for the first time at Campus Seoul during the Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange Program.
In a very dynamic city such as London there are many activities to do for the family, Joyce said. Her week is divided between school and nursery runs, followed by in between afternoon activities at school clubs and then dash to prepare meals for the evening and bedtime routines.
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Weekends is the best time to have a healthy walk at parks when the weather is merciful; otherwise museum is the suitable choice when the weather is cold outside. Also, discovering new places where to eat is one of her favourite activities in her weekends with the family.
“Healthcare is free and there is a good system in place to support children”. Government provides free medicines for children, as well as free dental for kids. Free services are provided for expectant mums during pregnancy and the year after.
As of school system London is a very competitive city. Children start at 4 years old and Joyce believes as a parent it is far too young to start. Accordingly to the city competitiveness, many parents pay for tutoring in order to maximise the chances of getting into good and prestigious schools. Joyce thinks it can be very stressful for kids and it could have a negative impact into their childhood.
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Typically women are the main carers in the UK households, but there are more often dads looking after the kids while mums return to work.
All things considered, there is no complaints about being a parent in the UK, except for the weather, said Joyce. Yeah, we all know sun doesn’t often show up there.
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