Childcare costs… yes, that is a collective sigh I hear – emanating from the belly of British parents.

In a new childcare affordability report commissioned by children’s savings provider Family Investments, it was revealed that parents paying for 25 hours of care a week can expect to pay £4,993 a year, a sum which is equivalent to 18.9% of average earnings (26k). The sigh just got louder.

The report listed the British towns that have the most affordable childcare in relation to annual earnings. Local authorities were surveyed and official earnings data compiled to establish affordability within every county. So – here’s where we’re all moving to:

Stoke is the most affordable location in Great Britain for childcare. The West Midlands is an affordability hotspot, with four of the ten most cost effective urban areas located in the region. The North West of England also featured prominently with three of the most affordable locations in the top ten with Bolton ranked third overall.

Childcare costs relative to earnings were found to be least affordable in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.

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My first-born is due to move from Reception to Year 1 this September, so it will be all change – new teacher, new classroom, new morning routine (parents are no longer allowed to help distribute snacks and water bottles – eek!).

But at least we know the basic drill this year.

Last year was a totally different story. As a small school, it seems it is generally assumed that parents will somehow absorb the knowledge they need just by being in the vicinity, such that when we arrive on Day 1, we will instinctively know to bring water, snack and the exact milk money, and where to put them all when we get there.

I equate it to the first day in a new job, when you know what to wear and where to go, but the rest is a mystery until you get there.

After panicking for most of the summer because we had not been organised enough to buy school-branded water bottles, book bags and pump bags in July (on the assumption that we would be able to buy them online or from the local School Uniform Shop during the holidays – no such luck!), I was relieved to finally make it to Day 1 and find that those parents with older children (the ‘been-there-done-that’ crew) rocked up with non-regulation water bottles and no pump bag at all on the first day, and that the queue to purchase forgotten book bags was longer than the queue to buy last-minute lunch vouchers!

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If, like me, you have musical children, you will surely know the pain of badly played keyboards, recorders, glockenspiels and anything that can serve as a drum.

But much as our ears want us to, we cannot bring ourselves to deter our budding stars from their musical endeavours – what kind of parents would we be if we confiscated the tin whistle of a budding James Galway, or the ukulele of the next Jack White?

No, we want to know that if our offspring are destined to be one half of the next generation’s Lennon and McCartney, we did everything we could to encourage them from the start. We want to hear them tell the interviewers that they were given every opportunity to nurture their talent, growing up in a ‘musical household’ and playing instruments from birth.

Of course, none of us knows whether a child will continue to be musical or abandon the violin lessons in favour of karate or the chess club. But just in case, we try to close our ears while they bang, crash, squeak and wail, silently hoping that all the suffering will eventually be worth it.

So I’m happy to announce that I have found what I think may be the holy grail of musical toys, the best musical instrument for kids.

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If you’ve ever tried swimming with kids, you’ll know how hard it can be – not in the pool, but in the changing room….

When everyone is in and swimming, providing you have enough adult pairs of hands to keep everyone safe and (literally) above water, being in the pool is the easy part.

But when it comes to getting everyone dried and dressed, the mere thought of it can be enough to send you running to a nice, dry soft-play centre instead!

But don’t discount swimming with kids as part of your summer of holiday activities – just get organised with these handy hints to help you get everyone in and out of the swimming pool in record time.

Before you go:

1. Get everyone into their swimming costumes before you go, while you still have enough elbow room to do it! But remember to take your underwear with you!

2. Dress appropriately: slip-on shoes are easier than battling with socks and trainers; short trousers or dresses are ideal as they don’t drag on the wet floor; a loose, warm hoody is great for keeping you snugly after a swim. Unless it is snowing outside, avoid socks, coats and too many layers at all costs – the only thing worse than struggling with lots of clothes in a humid changing room is having to do it multiple times for multiple people!

3. Pack 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner or top-to-toe baby wash for one-bottle showering.

4. Instead of fresh towels, take the towels already in circulation in the house – you’ll be washing them as soon as you get home, so you might as well make it worth your while.

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If you haven’t spent a day at Berkshire’s Look Out Discovery Centre, denizen of beautiful Bracknell forest, get your kids down there – they’ll love it!

The centre has loads of stuff to do for the whole family – all ages.

There’s an adventure play area; an infant play trail suitable for younger children aged between 3 and 6 years old (my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter loved this) and a play area for older children aged 7 to 11 years old, which has a magnificent fort as its centrepiece (my toddler also negotiated the castle and did pretty well – with a little help from mum).

Situated in 1,000 hectares of Crown Estate woodland, The Look Out Discovery Centre hosts a plethora of walks and trails, and if you’re not a walker; explore the forest on an all-terrain segway.

There are orienteering courses (that will set you back £1 per course) as well as mountain biking (bikes are available for hire if you don’t have your own) and a tree top  ‘forest adventure’ that allows you to get your Tarzan on via zip slides and rope bridges – it’s challenging but super fun.

And that’s just the outdoor fun.

The Look Out Centre hosts hands on science and nature exhibits (loads of activities), and for younger kids there’s a soft play area, a mini supermarket and ball pond.

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