The price Dinkies pay

Caring and sharing: Helen and Darren Cottom look after baby Jacob equally

First there were the Dinkies - upwardly-mobile young couples with dual income and no kids.

They devoted themselves to their careers, enjoying designer clothes, smart cars and exotic holidays. Then children came along to challenge their bank balance and energy levels. Now the Dinkies have grown up, to be replaced by the 1.5-job family.

A new study today reveals that the typical family unit consists of a father who works full-time and a mother working part-time, plus one or more youngsters looked after by a childminder or relative.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report says the 1.5 solution is the preferred option for couples who want to maintain the standard of living they enjoyed before they had children. It also allows mothers to keep a foothold on the career ladder. The largest addition to the labour market in recent years has been mothers with a child under five, says the study.

However, researchers warn that what appears to be a solution is in fact putting a strain on families.

Around half of mothers would stop working altogether and stay at home if they could afford to, the study found. But they feel under pressure from the consumer culture to provide materially for their families.

"Many parents believe they are not giving their children the best start in life if they cannot buy them the latest toys or clothes," said Professor Shirley Dex of the University of London's Institute of Education. She drew on 19 JRF research projects into modern working patterns.

"It's a constant worry for parents," agreed Jonathan Swan, from pressure group Parents at Work.

"The Government has put some legislation in place on flexible working but there's still a long way to go. Lack of affordable childcare might also mean people work longer hours than they want to just to pay the bills."

Another new trend identified by Dr Dex is shift-parenting, where one partner works antisocial hours so that someone will be there to care for the children round the clock. But this can result in parents ending up too tired to cope, and therefore not spending any quality time with the family.

Long hours and weekend work are the two areas where parents would most welcome government intervention, said Dr Dex, who found 30 per cent of fathers and six per cent of mothers regularly work more than the 48-hour-a-week maximum laid down by the EU.

She says government efforts to tackle family poverty by persuading more parents to find work risks signalling that caring for children and other unpaid work is unimportant.

However, she said a growing number of employers, especially larger organisations, are now offering familyfriendly hours, realising it is in their interests to attract and retain skilled staff.

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