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This generation of thirty- to fortysomethings has done rather well out of its parents. They bankrolled us through university, gave us a leg up the property ladder and now that we've all had children, we're expecting them to babysit - for free. According to research published today, most working parents rely on the kindness of granny and grandad for their childcare.
Since the middle classes don't even start families until well into their thirties, grandparents who might otherwise have been looking forward to a life of relative leisure are, after retirement, saddled with a new career at the Silver Sitters' agency, where the hours are unsociable, the pay non-existent and the bosses may occasionally employ a little light emotional blackmail.
Of course, most grandparents adore their grandchildren and relish opportunities to spend time with them - but let's not pretend we don't take advantage. A friend rang the other day to let off steam about her mother: "Busy! Can you believe it? She says she can't look after her own grandsons on Saturday because she's busy. What on earth could she be doing that's so important?"
A woman over 60 with a life of her own? The very idea! All four of my children's grandparents are lucky enough to live hundreds of miles away and are rarely engaged at my own little sweatshop, but who knows how regularly they would be called on if they lived around the corner? Instead, our bank account suffers the monthly haemorrhage that is our childcare bill.
Another study this week says that women are being "forced" to give up work because of the cost of nannies and nurseries. Market researchers said three quarters of 4,000 women surveyed wanted to return to work after maternity leave, but only a quarter were able to. Only 38 per cent of the mothers polled said they were at home because they wanted to spend more time with the children.
Many women, particularly in London, where £10 an hour is a standard rate for a nanny and £70 a day the typical bill for a private nursery, are now compelled to ask themselves whether they are working because they want to or because they need the money. The unpalatable truth is that - whether it is to grandparents or hired help - most of us would rather delegate chunks of the most difficult full-time job of all.
Perhaps Samantha Cameron was making a silent protest at her domestic load in her choice of outfit for the christening of her son Arthur last weekend. The quirky cotton dress with integral satin pinnie (£280) from designer Marc Jacobs was a surprising choice for such a snappy dresser. While other political wives look like high-street anchorwomen, Mrs C can usually be relied on subtly and effortlessly to outdress them with her Prada and Topshop get-ups.
We shouldn't judge her too harshly, though. Women approaching middle age should continue to experiment with fashion. But despite the checks and balances many of us have in place - e-consultations with friends, photo messaging from changing rooms - we sometimes get it wrong. A word of advice to Mr Cameron: next time you say "You look lovely darling," look up from your newspaper.
If you need a masterclass in how to cope with this wet summer, look to Britain's experts in the Rainy City. World-class musicians, chefs, comedians, DJs and Chinese acrobats descended on Manchester for its three-week International Festival at the weekend and, so far, it has chucked it down.
Has it cast a shadow over the event? On Saturday, hundreds cheerfully queued up outside the Palace Theatre before the start of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's stupendous opera, Monkey: Journey to the West. At Heston Blumenthal's temporary ice-cream parlour, soggy, giggling crowds tried mushy-pea-flavoured cones and strawberry sundaes with leather sauce. Somehow the rain made them taste even better.
By Lesley Thomas
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