Help! My child's a grot

Look, no-one likes doing laundry. An hour spent folding clean laundry is an hour you could be doing something useful. Like catching up on sleep.

But don't be afraid to let your kids get dirty.

Apparently some kids are spotlessly clean all the time, usually on TV sitcoms.

But in the real world, most aren't and getting dirty is an important part of growing up.

Think of the happiest times in your childhood; they probably involve catching tadpoles, jumping in puddles, making mud-pies or all of the above.

Would you rather have missed out on those experiences?

Your kids are no different. Every hour they spend outside building worm farms, digging for treasure, making cubby-houses, is an hour they are exercising their imaginations, learning to play and creating their own fun.

Studies also suggest that kids that spend more time outside have better immune systems than those who spend more time inside.

So rather than stress about them getting grubby in the schoolyard, look for school clothes that are easy to clean and don't need ironing.

Look for the Stubbies Easy Care and DuPont Teflon logos on this website. These garments are designed to repel potential stains, release ground-in dirt and keep ironing to a minimum.

And learn to love your little grot.