The modern family

I took Eve to the doctor yesterday because, similarly to her father, whenever there is a major event or a trip she gets a bit ill. This time it is just a snuffle and cough, but she had a mild fever yesterday and I had visions of being at the airport tonight at midnight about to board a flight to the UK and not being allowed through the health check so wanted to get her checked out.

Our lovely paediatrician, LY, has moved practices to an altogether more child friendly one with heavy entrance doors so children can't escape, lots of toys and very helpful reception staff who were more than happy to rescue my wayward child as she tried to climb on top of a table - climbing being her new thing now she has mastered walking and running.

I had to register Eve at the new practice and and fill in a new form. It asked for all the usual details such as name, date of birth, address, but underneath the boxes for the mother's and father's details there was another box labelled "Spouse". I was completely flummoxed and started to fill in the Boy's details for the second time until I realised what it was for. In my English-middle-class-put-up-with-anything-for-the-sake-of-the-kids world I'd never even considered that around half of children actually have 3 or more parents in their life.