ALL credit to Mrs P Partington (June 24) for raising eight hard-working grown-up children, but what was good for her and her children doesn't apply in all families.

My wife and I have two children, aged three months and two years, and we are both employed.

When my wife returns to work, both our children will be at a nursery, at a cost to us of over £1,000 per month.

Good jobs are not that plentiful that they can be given up for five or six years until children are at school then just started again.

We live in a modest house, have one car, and have never had a holiday abroad.

In fact, we have made considerable sacrifices (including re-mortgaging our house) in order to send our children to nursery. We believe that this is in their best interests.

If Mrs Partington compared the development of our eldest child - who has been at nursery for 18 months - to the child of a friend of ours, who is older, but has spent all his time at home with his mum, she might agree with us.

The difference in their speech, their counting, their knowledge of objects and colours and their general interaction with other children and adults is, quite frankly, astounding.

Name and address supplied