We have just survived back to school in Australia, where we have our big break over Christmas and January — our summer. Two of my kids went back one day and the third a couple of days later which meant we had a practice run before we went live with all three.

Chaos! The second day we slept in, not long enough for them to be late, just enough for all usual procedures to go out the window and panic to settle in.

All I could think of is 'how do I normally do all of this?' When do I have time to do the washing? How does the food for the school lunches — 30 pieces of fruit per week for starters — find its way into the kitchen? Surely I don't have time.

I couldn't help but wonder how, before the holidays, I ever got everything done — the uniform washing and ironing, the lunches and the after school activities.

These are the things that I focus on, leaving ‘optional extras' like dusting and weeding to the lists of people with priorities different to mine. So not being able to get these basics done means failing in my responsibilities and big time.

Maybe I just need to get my hand in again. It's a short term this year though, as Easter is early. I hope I get on top of the challenge before my efforts are interrupted by the next round of holidays and I go back to the beginning again.