Children cost £35,000 before they are five

Classes such as ballet cost parents about £40 a month
Classes such as ballet cost parents about £40 a month
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Parents spend about £35,000 on their children by the time they are aged five, including £5,000 on babysitting, a survey suggests.

Children in London cost their parents the most — about £10,000 a year — while the average across Britain is £7,000 a year. This includes basics, such as nappies and clothes, plus toys, games, days out and activities, including sports and music classes.

The average family also spends £95 a month, or £1,140 a year, on babysitters, the survey of more than 2,000 parents with children aged under five found. It added that parents typically spent £586 a month on their children, including £56 a month on leisure and family trips, £37 on DVDs, books and other entertainment, £39 for classes such as ballet