Raising children can be a stressful experience. It’s one of the reasons why people are increasingly choosing to go on child-free holidays. 34% of Britons do so already, while more than half said that given the chance they would go away without their children.

Kids birthday parties are pricey. UK parents spend more than £200 on cake, entertainment and party bags each year. Argos has launched a Birthday Club to aid party-stricken parents, offering ideas, tips and 20% off party essentials. Could it become the go-to brand for setting birthdays off with a bang?

At age 3, around a quarter of children go online daily, increasing to about 50% by age 5. And if the internet really is as “dangerous as letting children go out into the street”, is child-friendly software and brightly-coloured ‘kid versions’ enough to keep Gen Z surfers safe and happy?

Many fear that helicopter parenting leads to a mollycoddled, risk-averse generation that lacks real socialisation – hindering their creativity, success and happiness. But how are parental roles changing? And what can be done to take back control?