The eye-watering cost of raising children is leaving British families perilously exposed to sudden economic shocks. While parents have long accepted that having children is expensive, just covering the day-to-day costs means they have no spare money to save. For 34-year-old Amba Hicks, the soaring costs led to a breaking point that shattered her confidence as a mother. Trapped in a cycle of rising bills, the single mum from Northamptonshire found herself facing a choice that breaks her heart to