Actually at 30 years of age I was the mother of three children, 8, 6 and 4 years of age and newly divorced from an absolutely terrible marriage. I had had a great deal of worldly experience and was an avid amateur scholar but had low self belief and did not believe that my keen interest and reading in history, psychology and literature amounted to a 'row of beans', but was just a quirky habit. Having looked at growth mindsets and underachievement within my thesis, and also having worked very hard on understanding how childhood patterns and trauma can affect our choices, I understand much more about the choices I made as a young person and how they impacted then on my life and even now.

I'm not sure why I feel the need to state this now, PM133, perhaps just a need to acknowledge that unhappy young 30 year old, trying desperately to look after her children, blaming herself for everything, and choosing not progress to honours (extra years of study) and further studies beyond the initial undergraduate degree despite achieving outstanding grades, as her children needed a mother who was there for them and had some form of professional and stable employment.

At the age of 30 I had two kids with my third just a year later so I wasn't far behind you. I wouldn't know how to have done it as a single parent though.