Women CAN’T have it all: Two thirds of working mums would have to quit their jobs if they couldn’t rely on help from family and friends

In I Don't Know How She Does It, Sarah Jessica Parker just about manages to juggle a job in a financial market firm with being the mother of two children - with a lot of help from a nanny.

But many working mothers can't afford personal childcare.

Instead they rely heavily on a close-knit circle of up to ten close friends and family to juggle their busy lives.



Mums call on their support network, dubbed 'Team Mum', to help out for around ten hours a week as they try to fit everything around their office hours, a survey found.

At work: In I Don't Know How She Does It, Sarah Jessica Parker plays a working mum

Their own mothers are the first port of call in emergencies, while friends, neighbours and other children's mums are also likely to be on hand when needed.

The study, carried out by Tesco Baby, found that 67 per cent of mothers believe they would have to give up work if they didn't receive help from Team Mum.

Having a close support network saves the average mum £140 a month in childcare costs. That adds up to a saving of £1,680 per year.

The trend was revealed in a study carried out among 2,000 mums by Tesco to launch its 'Help a Mum' campaign.

Spokeswoman Lorna Dickinson said: 'Mums work incredibly hard and it's only natural that they rely on other people to help them out.

'Juggling work, meal times, housework and various appointments can be difficult so having a trusted network of reliable people can make a difference.'



The study found mums typically enjoy ten hours of support from their network of friends and family, but one in 20 women has 31 hours of help every week.

Two thirds those who took part in the poll said their own mother was the one person they could not do without, and one third of women said their mother babysits their kids while they are at work.

At play: But while SJP's character relies on a nanny to help her out, many of the rest of us rely on a family and friends support network, dubbed 'Team Mum'

Tesco's survey also revealed one in ten relies on their mother-in law's child-minding skills while five per cent get granddad to muck in.

The findings come after Grannynet (a website for 'grannies in the know who are looking after their grandchildren') strayed into helping with childcare.



Midwife Sally Underdown is running classes for members of the website which support the nation’s 7million grandmothers.

Underdown teaches nans about how childcare has changed since they first had children.



Tesco's study found 40 per cent of mothers said they were part of a mum's network, with most belonging to two support teams.

Around 58 per cent said no one in their support team accepted cash for their efforts.

But half of the participants said they returned the favour by babysitting for their friends when needed.

A third of mums said it was far easier to juggle everything when you are a stay-at-home mum as opposed to being a working mother.

And 27 per cent said it was 'impossible' to do everything yourself unless they were 'incredibly organised'.

Pippa Wright, mother-of-two and blogger at A Mothers Ramblings said: 'It is incredibly hard for mums working full-time during pregnancy but there are online pregnancy forums if mums are too busy to attend pre-natal classes.

Help! Working mums typically enjoy ten hours of support from their network of friends and family, but one in 20 women has 31 hours of help every week (posed by models)

'From these forums, I met almost 30 mothers who, after almost eight years, are friends I still rely on for advice.

'The smallest thing - like a rash - can be panic-inducing for a mum so being able to know another mum has been through the same issue and will respond is a massive weight off your shoulders.

'Several friends have had to move back closer to their family in order to get help during and after their pregnancies.

'Becoming and being a mother can be a difficult journey but as this research highlights, support is always available and mothers and friends should never be afraid to ask for it.'



The study also found a third of women said the hardest aspect of parenting was being a good mother whilst also being dedicated in the workplace.

But the same proportion said the hardest part of parenthood was keeping the house clean.

Nearly three quarters of mums said it would make their life simpler if they had more close family and friends helping them out with day to day errands.

Lorna Dickinson added: 'It's fantastic that mums help other mums out - from babysitting to giving advice and sharing parenting concerns.