For stay-at-home parents or those able to secure leave, it will mean no more long, hot days stuck in the house together, developing cabin fever – but also no fun weekday outings to the park, pool or movies for a while.

For parents who’ve had to work, it could mean the end of a difficult juggle of six weeks’ care arrangements during which job life has had to go on.

The start of the school year will be especially poignant for the parents and carers of children who are going through some of those big milestones: starting Kindergarten or high school, or entering their last year of primary or secondary schooling.

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But it’s undoubtedly the parents of Kindy children who will feel this rite of passage the most. Although they are likely to have had their child in some kind of care by this stage – whether daycare, preschool or casual babysitting – the start of Big School can feel like having to let go, or no longer being the sole biggest influence in their child’s life.

But it doesn’t mean suddenly having no influence, either.

Schools may be responsible for our children for about 30 hours a week, but there’s so much we, as parents, can still do to shape them and ensure success.

Parental involvement in schooling has been shown to help a child in so many ways.

It can shore up their learning – if the parent helps them plug away at all that home reading, spelling practice or school concert dance rehearsal, for example.

It can help the child have a positive experience of schooling, by establishing good communication between home and school, and allowing any achievements to be celebrated and problems to be remedied.

And it can boost the child’s self-esteem: a parent taking an interest in their activities shows them that someone is figuratively – or perhaps literally – cheering them on.

So if your little one is starting Big School this week, bon courage. Let them and their teacher know that you’re there and you care, and may you all have a great 2019.