I was the first of my close friends (who were all older than me) to have a child. I was 27 and they all waited until they were in their 30s. Then I was the young mum. Now, at 46 with a 9-year-old, I am one of the old ones at the school gate, but not the only one.

I was the old mum when he was at preschool - almost all the other kids were their parents' first children, and several mums were pregnant and had babies during those preschool years.

But, I have to say, I see some of my younger friends trying to cope with 3 children all under eleven, and I feel soooo smug in my old-ness with just the one in this age group.