Parenting in England

When I moved to England, I was already pregnant with my daughter. I had to get familiar with the maternity procedures. Having been through that system, if I ever had to have another child I would not go through the hospital here. I had divulged information about my partying days, which got all blown out of proportion and after giving birth to my daughter they put me under “house arrest” at the hospital for 3 days. I only had a limited supply of napies which were quickly running out. Becoming a first time parent to start off was an utter nightmare. It made me think that moving here was a massive mistake.
On a professional level, because I am a lone parent with no familial help or support from my childs father, who is South African, has been the hardest journey to take. It's made being flexible for work, studying or dating almost impossible.
Childcare for todlers here costs the same amount or more a month as a minimum wage earner would earn. There are tax exemptions for low earners that pay the majority of the childcare. However calculate your earnings incorrectly and you will be left with a hefty tax bill when April comes around, as a few of my friends have experienced.
Schools are quite good at getting your child integrated. However that really depends on the race majority in your area. You could move to England and find yourself adrift in a total different race community with foreign customs. Ie: majority Turkish or Muslim. Sometimes hard to integrate with.
Being a single parent in the UK has been very hard going. Especially at the school gate, as non single parents don't really invite you over to their homes as I feel they are threatened by a young female and single. I have been told once to leave before someone's husband got home. I didn't need prompting as I know my place.
I would also add that it is difficult to entertain children here if you're on a tight budget because of the weather.
I have also had to get used to the school system here. It was a shock to my system that children here start High School at 11 years of age. The transition from Primary School to Secondary School is not smooth. The Primary School does not change it's system in year six to accommodate for Secondary transition.
Overall, I would not endorse raising children up here in England. I believe children here grow up way too fast. It is a steep learning curve for a parent who has had all the prevelages of growing up in a beautiful place like South Africa. Obviously I am not niaive to the violence in South Africa. However the networks and bonds formed in South Africa seem to be formed more deeply. This is just my opinion.