Ingried Khedun (40) PR executive: In January, my partner Paul lost his job - he'd been working as a night delivery driver and was given a week's notice that his contract wasn't being renewed. After years of money worries, we had finally become more financially secure.

Paul was devastated, but I was too disappointed to be sympathetic.

We have been together for 11 years and live with our two children and my first two from a previous relationship.

We've always struggled financially, but we've always got through it together.

When we first met, Paul was an engineer on a good salary. When I got pregnant three years later, his company had a round of redundancies.

He took redundancy because he wanted to stay home with the kids, which he did for about six years.

Financially we were at rock bottom, and finally he got the night delivery job. It was six nights a week from midnight until mid-morning.

For six years I'd go to bed when he was waking up, but we had to support the family.

Looking back, I've learned that I have to be more compassionate. I didn't emotionally support him when I should have done.

I feel a lot calmer now and am not angry with him any more - we've crossed that bridge. And it is only money.

We will manage - we've done it before.

Paul did get another job, still delivering, but it's five days a week with no night shifts. The other day he was watching TV with the kids and I just thought, this is wonderful - they've got their dad back.