As the kids head back to the classroom, pressure is back on the parents
The words back to school always did send a chill through me.
As a child they seemed to appear in shop windows about half an hour after the school holidays had begun, emblazoned next to uniformed children brandishing set squares like they actually knew how to use them.
Nowadays the back to school movement represents an industry with a market spend estimated to be £1.45 billion - with school uniform and sports kit taking up the lions share of that not insubstantial figure.
It now comes with its own health warnings too. Health professionals report a spike in tummy bug medicine, cough and cold remedies and of course nit treatments in mid to late September as school kids bring germs and bugs to class in an enormous bacterial show and tell.
Then there's the risk that overloaded backpacks and bags pose to the tender backs of the estimated 9.9million school children about to re enter the school gates after a summer of frolicking care free in the drizzle and being aloud to play on the IPad for longer than they ever dreamed possible. Apparently long term back issues in the young are on the rise and over stuffed school bags are to blame.
There's even advice to be had on how best to manage the reintroduction of a decent sleep pattern ahead of this mass migration back to daily routine - apparently you should gradually reintroduce a proper bedtime at least two weeks before the big day.
Maybe next year then.
But in this back to school week for millions of parents, the relationship charity Relate reminded us that families with young children feel strain on their relationships more than anyone else.
In a meaty survey of 6000 people the organisation showed that money worries and the day in day out balancing act of childcare and work are the main factors which cause arguments - both of which of course come roaring back to the fore as September arrives and school stops being out.
Parents with children are not only much more likely to cite money worries as a top strain on relationships (61%) than those without (47%), but the study also suggested that parents are feeling the pressure across huge swathes of their lives and that their relationships tend to be of a poorer quality than people without children.
There can be little doubt that work life balance plays an enormous part in all of this, with the lack of flexible working options available to parents still a huge day to day issue.
So, good luck and God speed to all parents this back to school season and remember, who really cares if you can't find the set square.