What is middle class

[monotonousmum]

Of the back of a childcare thread, where a lot of the feeling seemed to be that middle class people want free childcare paid by taxpayer so they can have nice holidays...

What is middle class??

Is it someone who doesn't have to claim benefits? Works but doesn't really need to? One working parent family and still doing OK? Can afford nice holidays? Could afford nice holidays if it wasn't for the childcare bill?

I'm genuinely confused as to what it is nowadays. I'd consider myself working class, as I have to work to survive. I have a decently paid job though and we have never had to claim any benefits - although it would only take a few months out of work to change this.
But this decently paid job isn't crazy money. We still have to budget, don't have fancy holidays, save a modest amount each month (which usually gets spent on Christmas etc). We have some luxuries that we could live without (takeaways, sky sports).

But the childcare thread has left me genuinely confused. I don't really care what I am either way, life is what it is. But have the way we use these terms changed?

@Itshothothot

Middle class to me is someone who has a good skilled job, has had a good education etc

Has a nice house in a up market, desirable area.

Minds their Ps and Qs etc. no slang words, swearing, common traits etc

Ha! Most upper middle class and upper class swear like troopers

@Dairyfairie @LizBennet
Perhaps you could put forward your ideas on the next PP thread, where MNers are ranting that school look down on them and think that just because they're on a low income they are poorly educated, and cannot provide opportunities and experiences for their children! People don't work for a huge variety of reasons, not solely because their income would be lower than their childcare costs.

Previously it was children with children's services involvement that were getting the nursery places from age 2, so I assume this changed with Cameron's government (sorry, this is after my children were in Early Years so I haven't kept up with the changes).