I was complaining to my husband just last night that I would rather spend more time with Daisy before she starts school than spend so much time on the thesis. It just takes too much of my time. My incentive to submit by Xmas (going to be VERY tight) is that I can then cut her daycare down.

Going back to that student though. It is very difficult for a baby to be seperated so long from it's mother and still have a normal bond with her. I can see why she might prefer the grandmother to a creche though. He's very young for full-time nursery (not enough attention - too many different caregivers etc). Tough choice.

It sounds like child benefit, etc, would not come near to covering the costs. It's more difficult that I realised.
Maybe even employing a nanny/au pair would be cheaper!

That's why some people with more than one child get an au pair or nanny. Nannies are quite expensive still and good ones are gold dust and much sought after! But it's cheaper than nursery and no drop offs/pick ups which is a very stressful part of the working day especially if they are at different places.

Child benefit is useful for clothes, toys nappies and stuff but makes no dent on childcare costs. You can get a tax free allowance for nursery fees - but only if you are actually working, not as a student.

You will manage, it all depends on your financial situation, I mean whether or not your Phd is being sponsored, you need to manage your expenses carefully, believe me. I would say you would need a minimum of £ 1000 monthly for rent and other expenses, although this figure may differ depending on the city. Other than that you will find plenty of time to see and interact with your children especially if you are doing a social based phd since you may work from home most of the time. I do have a child and we are managing well. Good luck

wow hats off to the mothers who are doing a phd AND looking after their children. i really admire that.

i can barely look after myself and my phd. so well done you mothers, i admire your organisation and hard work

i have decided to wait with babies until after my phd. my mum broke off her phd halfway through because she had two toddlers and couldn't afford it anymore. i don't want that to happen to me! i just hope i'll still be fertile when i'm finished...

Hi Pheonix, my first time at this, so it may end up in the ether! I'm just finishing my first year at warwick, pretty much everything you need is available through the uni. The onsite nursery has a really good reputation and the accommodation service is good. Local areas vary, go for Earlsdon if off campus, lots of staff live there and good schools! Have a good trawl of the website, you should find pretty much everything you will need. There is an onsite temp agency if you or your other half want to work. Which dept are you going to? I'm at the medical school but 1st degree was sociology and project is cross disciplines!

Coventry actually is not a bad place--I have been through it and to it a few times...its got an old cathedral that survived World War II bombing damage (or was redone, I forget the story...but its worth a look) and its got trains to nearly everywhere. The plus of being in the Midlands is you are half way to everywhere! And its just a few minutes from Kenilworth, and Kenilworth Castle, and if you have never been, or even if you have, oh that is SUCH A MAGNIFICENT place!!!! I love visiting it, and its got some child friendly bits of the walkabout tour ( hint, Join English Heritage, you can get some marvelous discounts to some incredible places in England!!!! Kenilworth Castle is an English heritage site! Join there!!! Says Olivia, an enthusiastic English heritage member. They even have this great student rate which really, it is soooooooo affordable, you just have to go and SEE things to make it worthwhile.

Food costs a lot more than in the US--unless you shop smart, and then its less, at least for most items. Look for outdoor markets, and get fresh fruit and veg ( and trout) there. Shop at Aldis. Look for shops that have the best prices...they are there, often, somehow, the small corner shop rather than the giant supermarket. A lot of universities have a bus service that takes you to the larger supermarkets, and that makes shopping easier.

http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/

http://www.homesforstudents.co.uk/

A couple of websites that advertise student housing...no idea what you might find, but these might be helpful. Rents for a single room in Coventry look like they are in the 50 pound per week range, which actually is pretty cheap...so, don't know what that means for family accomodation, but the websites let you look by city and by university, so that might help you. Sometimes there are housing associations that have special housing for students and might have something that is suitable for families.

Hope some of that information is of help. How exciting to be moving and starting your studies--best of luck with the transition!

Olivia and Millsy..thanks for your ideas, you guys are of great help!..Warwick family 2 BR housing is 670 a month, should I look at off campus then for a 2 BR? any other information you may have or websites of interest would be very helpful. thanks a bunch!

There are lots of sites advertising rental properties in Coventry which are cheaper than what you have mentioned. A quick google search revealed the following:

http://www.accommodationcoventry.com/about.php

http://www.primelocation.com

http://www.letalife.com/property_adverts/coventry_warwickshire_property_to_let.asp

but if you are going off-campus, compare costs carefully.
usually on-campus accomodation includes all bills such as council tax, electricity, gas, water, internet, phone line (but not TV licence). also, you save on commuting costs. if your younger child goes to the uni nursery, living on-campus might not just be more practical, but also save transport costs. just do the sums carefully - it would be a shame to live away from uni in order to save money and end up paying more!

millsy,
I found a 3 BR house on torrington avenue, is that a good spot to live - crime rates, schools etc etc..since you are in Warwick, thought you may be able to comment..? thanks for your help