Yesterday was the second Budget since our daughter Katie was born.

And, for me, it was a vital one.

There was a group I wanted to be part of and I was pinning my hopes on Alistair Darling.

Let me explain.

I've never been a serviceman whose work receives a tribute every year.

I don't own a gas guzzling car (in fact, I've never owned a car).

I've never been in child poverty.

In short I've never felt like any Budget had a particular mention of me in it.

The family man
Gordon Brown, the previous chancellor, was big on families.

He mentioned 'family' or 'families' 265 times in his 11 Budget speeches. I should know. I've counted every single one (see table below).

But with no child of my own I was left out of Brown's favourite group.

I felt disenfranchised.

Now clearly, once Katie arrived in early 2007 I could consider myself part of that group. We are a family.

That was a good start but let's be honest here. British families is a big group of people. I wanted to be part of a smaller, special club and still get a mention in the Budget. Who doesn't?

Fortunately, Gordon had the solution to that as well. He used to reserve some of his most special of special Budget measures for a particular super-elite club: hard working families.

Now that's what I call a club. It's relatively easy to become a family. But a hard working family? Oh yes please. That's just the type of thing that makes me feel so special.

'Hard working families' were mentioned 15 times in Brown's Budgets between 1998 and 2006, peaking at five mentions in 2000. I should know. I've counted every single one (see table below).

And shortly after Katie was born along came Brown's final Budget in 2007. And I was looking forward to the speech. It was my first chance to feel part of the elite. I wanted to be in a hard working family.

And lo and behold what the chancellor had given he then took away.

There was no mention whatsoever of hard working families last year.

I felt cheated.

Do it for me, Darling
So imagine my anticipation yesterday. Would the new man in 11 Downing Street mention hard working families so I could feel part of the elite? Could Alistair Darling really fix it for me?

He made me wait. And wait.

His delivery was so dull that I almost stopped listening.

But suddenly there it was.

I quote from the speech:

"From October 2009, we will change the rules for Housing and Council tax benefit so that parents are better off in work than on benefits.

"As a result, a working family with one child on the lowest income will gain up to £17 a week. Mr Deputy Speaker this measure will lift 150,000 more children out of poverty.

"And I can do more to help all children and hard working families...from April 2009, I will increase Child Benefit for the first child to £20 a week - a year earlier than planned.""

Oh, yes. That's me. I get Child Benefit. I'm now officially part of a hard working family.

Yippee!

That rise in Child Benefit from April 2009 will easily match the increase in duty on all that beer, wine and spirits I will have to spend it on (hey, how else can anyone relax after a hard working week in the office?).

And let's just agree not to mention how much more I'll be paying in National Insurance.

By the way, if you're part of a bone idle family let's be clear: there was nothing in the Budget for you.

That's all for now - must get back to my day job.

Once I've checked my mail.

Analysis of Budget speeches under Labour * :

* based on the text of the Budget speeches at the HM Treasury website.

Got a press release in my inbox the other day about music and youngsters. I've removed most of the corporate guff; the tips seem pretty sensible:

This year, the government announced that it is establishing a 'Youth Culture Trust' for school pupils to attend ballet, opera and classical music concerts and broaden their musical experiences. But for children not yet old enough to attend school, what are the best ways for their parents to help develop their enjoyment of music?

The UK preschool TV channel, Nick Jr, has teamed up with one of the UK’s leading developmental music psychologists, Keele University’s Dr Alexandra Lamont, to come up with some top tips for parents wishing to actively encourage their under-fives’ burgeoning musical tastes.

1. Share your favourite music
Reliving your favourite musical experiences and enthusiasm with your child can go a long way. You could tell them the story behind the music, such as where you first heard it, and why you like it. Don’t be put off if your child doesn’t seem to appreciate your treasured  tunes at first – even adults often don't like being exposed to new things - so try repeating unfamiliar music a few times to see if they will come to enjoy it.

2. Use music from their daily routines
Take note of your child's routines outside the home, for example when they’re at day-care, nursery or being looked after by relatives, and incorporate them into your shared activities.  Many young children experience a great deal of music at nursery, listening to different kinds of music or singing along to songs. Why not make the most of this by singing the same songs on car journeys or playing similar music at home.  Young children love repetition!
 
3. Notice their musical tastes
Be attentive when your child expresses an opinion about music, see how they respond to different tunes - in and outside of the home - and share those situations with them.  You could use their favourite nursery rhyme to play a game together or settle down and sing along to their favourite television theme songs.
 
4. Try lots of different musical genres
Test out lots of different styles of music until you discover one that your child really responds to. This could mean that they move around a lot to the music or stop moving and listen intently; young children are more likely to stop moving if they experience a new style they haven't heard before which interests them.  Don’t feel that you should only play them music aimed at young children – children can enjoy all kinds of music.
 
5. Get physical with music
Actively enjoying music means getting active! Try playing different musical games involving clapping, dancing, swaying, rocking and changing your actions (and those of your child) when the music changes its mood or speed.  Sing and dance together to music on the radio, or hold your child on your lap and listen to some soothing music together.
 
6. Make the most of their favourite tunes
Start with the familiar as a way of introducing your child to new genres of music.  When you know what they like, you can broaden their musical taste by trying things that are closely related.  For example, if your child enjoys the theme song to their favourite television programme, listen to the instruments that are used and try to find other kinds of music that also use those instruments.
 
7. Keep going and keep it fun!
These are just a few ideas to get you started.  All children respond well to music, so keep going until you find a particular kind of music that will get them going or, alternatively, calm them down.  Do remember that music is something to be enjoyed, so having fun is the most important thing!

Joanna O’Connell, mum to four-year old Jack and Charlie, aged three, from Gerrards Cross in Bucks, says, “My sons absolutely love music and they enjoy singing and dancing along. Jack loves the theme tunes to his favourite shows, Roary the Racing Car and Fifi and the Flowertots, whereas Charlie prefers the more traditional songs such as ‘The Wheels on the Bus’. Both boys also enjoy singing along to my CDs in the car. I'm really keen to encourage their interest in music as I think it benefits their development, and I particularly like the idea of listening to which instruments are used in their favourite music.”

“Music is something to be shared at all ages,” says Dr Lamont. “It really doesn’t matter what kind of music it is, but getting to know music together is a great way of connecting with your children.  As well as loving the repetition of their favourite songs and programmes, young children have amazingly diverse musical tastes which you can nurture and encourage”. 

This weekend I took Katie to another birthday bash at a different church hall. There was a big inflatable with a section with lots of coloured balls in it. After a little while she started to enjoy it.