Emilie Silverwood-Cope: From here to ‘teen-ternity’

Move over debates about maternity leave, we have a new parenting/work conundrum in town and its name is ‘teen-ternity leave’.

This tongue-twister is what we are calling the career break a parent (usually a mum) takes when older children need looking after. Just when us mums thought we could increase our working hours it seems many of us are pressing pause, or dropping back down the career ladder, to be there for our children.

Last week TV and radio presenter Claudia Winkleman announced that she was leaving her BBC Radio 2 show to spend more time with her three children who are 20, 17 and 12 years old. She said: “Time is going too fast. My daughter is getting ready to leave home and she was three [years old] about five minutes ago. I have a little one who still wants to be with me - I don’t know how long that will last - and I just need to be at home more.”