MY 14-year-old grandson’s parents have been living apart for years now, but in conversation one day I asked him whether he preferred staying with his dad or his mum.

His reply was: “If I sleep at my dad’s it only costs 50p to school and 50p back, but if I stay with my mom it costs £1.50 there and £1.50 back.

“So to save my mum money that she has not got it is easier all round to stay at my dad’s.”

This really shocked me and choked me up a little bit, because I did not know that things were so bad. Are there other families out there having it so tough?

Star reader,

Parr