New parents are often told: ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ Unfortunately, they’re almost always told this when they haven’t slept for days and are covered in bite marks and Weetabix, but the sentiment does hold some truths, and I’ve been trying to appreciate them this week. It looks like my son will be going back to nursery soon, after 13 weeks of full-time care in his own home. The pessimist in me (not to mention the guy-who-can-read-an-infection-chart in me) worries more lockdowns will come, but my internal optimist is preparing for a gentle slope back to normality.