Tomorrow marks the first day back at school for children in Scotland. I, alongside many others, will be glad for some sense of routine and freedom from those young people we live with.

So many children and parents have struggled with home learning. At first, I used to think that a parent should know how to teach their children academia. But how wrong I was! If this lock-down has taught me anything, it’s the value of the classroom environment, school and a quality teacher.

For single parents, this is a type of respite. We love our children, but we are also human too. It is so hard to deal with our own emotions and anxieties let along having a small person’s emotions (which turn into behavioural problems because they cannot express themselves properly) to cope with, literally 24/7.

I am not having a rant. I have seen parents with autistic children struggle worse than me. And lets not forget about the autistic parent and autistic children group either. May God help us all in this difficult time.

And yes, we do echo the concerns of physical distancing between children and hand washing at school etc etc. But to alleviate these concerns, the best thing to do is have good communication with the school. Not happy with the school? Join the PTA or Parent Council to become more active in helping with the situation rather than complaining.

I, for one, am looking forward to six hours of guilt-free, child free time. I keep getting excited only to remember the housework that’s been put off for the last five months …