It's good for mental health for my kids to take days off

The other day I rang the school and left a vague message.

- CHARLOTTE CRIPPS

My daughter, Liberty, seven, would not be coming in. I didn't go into details as there weren't any. She just needed a duvet day for her mental health. In other words, she felt “a little under the weather”, or “six out of 10”, as she rated it.

As she gave me that puppy-eyed look, I wrapped her back up in bed with her favourite fleece Squishmallows blanket and Labubu, brought her homemade pancakes and a warm cup of milk, and generally let her watch her iPad while I waited on her hand and foot like a servant.

No doubt I will be accused of child-centred or jellyfish or gentle or free-range parenting (insert your own favoured parenting stereotype) by the “helicopter” parenting brigade who march their kids into school while still looking green from having just been sick, or with a mild fever - but I give my children duvet days whenever they want.

According to new research, parents like me give their children an average of six mental health days off school a year, and 70 per cent said they saw an improvement in their child’s happiness and behaviour if they were allowed “regular time and space” away from school.