Hoda’s heartwarming return home after the Olympics is every working mum’s tornado of joy, guilt and love

Hoda Kotb’s reunion with her daughters after covering the Paris Olympic Games is the stuff working mom dreams are made of—especially the kind where you’re not sure if you’ll laugh, cry, or both. When Hoda shared that sweet Instagram video of her girls, Haley and Hope, sprinting towards her, I was right there with her, reliving every single one of my own returns home after a work trip.

There’s something about that moment when you open the door, still in work mode, probably wearing the same clothes you had on when you left three days ago, and then—bam!—your kids are there, full speed ahead, like you’re the greatest thing they’ve seen since chocolate ice cream.

And let’s be honest, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. First, there’s the joy, the relief that they’re just as happy to see you as you are to see them. But almost immediately, that other thing kicks in—guilt. Because how do you explain to a 5-year-old that you missed the school play or bedtime stories because you were in a different time zone, trying not to fall asleep during yet another meeting? 

It’s tough to shake the guilt, but here’s what I’ve learned: It’s proof that you care deeply. It’s a sign that you’re invested in your kids’ lives and that you want to be the best mom you can be. 

Child tax credits - how much you can get

This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice forNorthern Ireland, See advice forScotland, See advice forWales

Universal Credit has replaced child tax credits for most people. Before you make a claim, you should check if you can get child tax credits. You might need to claim Universal Credit instead. 

If you’re responsible for any children or young people born before 6 April 2017, you can get up to £3,780 a year in child tax credits for your first child and up to £3,235 a year for each of your other children until they turn 16.  

You can keep claiming until they’re 20 if they stay in approved education or training.

If you have any children after 6 April 2017, you can only get child tax credits for them if they're your first or second child. You could get £3,455 a year for each child.

There are some exceptions to this rule, for example if you’re expecting twins or triplets - check the exceptions on GOV.UK.

You don't need to be working to claim child tax credits - how much you'll get depends on your circumstances. To work out your claim, HMRC looks at:

• your income from the previous tax year (what you earned for the 12 months up to 5 April)

• how many children, or young people in approved education or training live with you

• when your children were born

• if any of these children or young people are disabled

You won’t know exactly how much you’ll get in tax credits until your claim is processed - this can take up to 5 weeks.

If you're 18 or over, you can use the Turn2us benefits calculator before you apply to work out how much you can get. You’ll need to provide details of your income, working hours and childcare.

If you’d prefer to work this out with an adviser, contact your nearest Citizens Advice.

Cost of Living Payments

The government sent the last Cost of Living Payment of £299 during spring 2024. They haven’t announced any more payments. 

You should have got the Cost of Living payment of £299 between 6 and 22 February 2024. To get the payment you must have been entitled to a tax credit payment between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

If you didn’t get the last payment

If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.

If your child is disabled

You’ll get extra child tax credits for each child or young person you’re responsible for who either:

• gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment

• is certified blind (or is within 28 weeks of your claim)

This will be £4,170 a year extra, on top of the normal amount, or £5,850 if they get:

• the highest rate of the care component of DLA

• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP

• the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment

• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment

47% of mums still aren’t given enough time to pump at work

When the PUMP Act was signed into law in December 2022, it was considered a landmark piece of legislation supporting the rights of breastfeeding parents everywhere. Up until that point, there were loopholes in previous legislation that meant working parents weren’t always guaranteed the right to a private place to pump or dedicated “reasonable break time” to do so—or be able to sue if their employers were not compliant with the law. But even though it’s been almost two years since the PUMP Act was passed, it seems there’s still more work to do in the effort to support nursing parents. 

The annual State of Breastfeeding Survey from Mamava and Medela found that among nearly 7,000 parents surveyed, there’s still a critical need for increased access to breastfeeding support and infrastructure in workplaces and public spaces—and education around their rights when it comes to breastfeeding at work.

More education needed around the PUMP Act

The survey found that 1 in 3 parents lack reliable access to a dedicated lactation space at work, and that 43% of parents remain unaware or unclear about the PUMP Act and its legal requirements for workplace lactation support. 

Fifty-two percent of parents identified finding places to pump or nurse on the go as their top breastfeeding challenge, closely followed by 47% citing insufficient time for nursing/pumping breaks. 

“Our survey results expose the reality that our society must do more to provide breastfeeding parents with the essential support and infrastructure they need,” said Sascha Mayer, Mamava Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer, in a statement. “Despite federal protections established by the PUMP Act, even the most committed breastfeeding parents face significant barriers. It’s clear we need to create more supportive workplaces and public spaces to ensure that every breastfeeding parent has the opportunity to feed their children in a private, dignified and comfortable environment.”

That looks like both educating parents on their rights—and helping employers understand their legal responsibilities and possible solutions, Mayer tells Motherly. While some employers have taken the initiative to update their breastfeeding laws and policies, others are still resistant, which has led to a spate of lawsuits from employees this year, The 19th reports.