🌞 The holiday gazette (for parents who've got this) no.4

EDITION 4 Back home, laundry & nostalgia

The holidays are over, that moment when the car boot explodes all over the hallway, when you find shells in your pockets and sand in your hair (but nobody knows who the two lonely socks belong to)

You, back-to-school season. With your parade of checklists, your alarm clock. You've dug out the school bags, the name labels to stick on, the shoes that pinch just a little too much, you show up with that smell of fresh stationery and school dinners, your packed schedule

But this year, let us tell you one thing: you won't get us.

Because we're coming back, yes. But not empty-handed.
We're coming back with hearts full. Of laughter that goes on till midnight. Of impromptu naps. Of barbecues that go on too long and conversations that never want to end. We've gathered memories as sweet as sun-kissed skin.

So yes, we'll find our rhythm again. Unpack the suitcases. Answer the emails, the calls, the "Can you get that to me by yesterday?" "Not the greatest brief"
But we're going to do it differently. With a little stone in our shoe as a reminder not to forget. We'll make ourselves a promise not to sacrifice everything. To keep time for the moments that truly matter. To resist, a little, a lot, the urge to get swept up in it all.

And if sometimes there are a few tears on the way to school, we know it'll pass. That their friends will be there. That the teacher has a story planned, that snack time comes round quickly, and that (above all) every day is one small step closer to the end of term.

And above all, let's not forget that back to school isn't just about getting back to work and homework: it's about knowing how to create comfort in everyday life.

The team's top tip: "empty fridge, no stress"
Think about scheduling a click-and-collect to pick up on the way home, or ordering a "back from holiday" ready-meal box. We're not seriously going to cook an organic risotto after seven hours on the road.

And as for the washing … that unsung hero of the back-to-school season — the simplest way to tackle the laundry without losing your mind is to turn the music up really loud and forget you're hanging up the third load, maybe even pitch it as a fun new family activity...