WHISPER it quietly but over the last few weeks, my children have got easier.

I don’t know whether I have become numb to their constant jabbering on but I think I might be seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

The youngest has stopped his penchant for running away at the most inopportune time (in a queue, next to the road, whenever I’ve just ordered a coffee in a cafe)

The eldest is even better.

MORE STORIES

Vale social care worker joins scheme to get women into construction

Schools and local authorities to make face covering risk assessments

Wales families encouraged to consider 'back to school' transport options

He will gladly sit and watch 28 episodes of Deadly 60 while I get to maintain the charade that he’s learning something.

Together they even sleep in the same room when we are in our caravan in Pembrokeshire.

This was unthinkable a year ago where they would egg each other on to run out of the room, shout 'daddy', and leg it back to bed.

This bodes well as they are both going to school together for the first time in September, one in nursery and the other in reception.

Whilst my fears that they would be a handful for the teachers are starting to decline, I can’t help but worry about all of the what-ifs.

What if they are scared by everyone wearing masks?

What if they don’t like the cold lunches?

What if they forget their pencil and are too scared to ask for another one from the teacher?

I have no doubt parents at Whitmore are going through many similar what-ifs.

We are trying to answer them using mini videos on our Twitter page, but during such challenging and emotive times, we may not be able to alleviate every concern.

What I can promise however is the staff at Whitmore will provide a welcoming space for pupils to restart their educational journey and we will do everything in our power to allow them to safely return to some semblance of normality.