If there's one thing I've learnt in my grand old age, it's that children tend to believe adults have it all figured out when in actual fact, we're bumbling around just as much as our much smaller counterparts as we try to do this thing called 'life'.
With that being said, it's no surprise that when it comes to a child's first day at school, parents are usually just as anxious - if not more - for navigating this next big step in their little person's life.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday morning, Labour MP and "nervous parent" Kiri Allan asked the internet for advice on how to help her young daughter with her transition into school.
In the appeal to her almost 15,000 followers, the Minister of Justice noted that any tips for tackling the nerves - hers and her daughter's - would be appreciated.
"Mōrena Twitter! I have a baby girl about to start school in two weeks and she is super nervous about all the big kids. We've got our first school visit today - any tips for helping the nerves to subside! #NervousParent," the East Coast MP wrote.
It didn't take long for swathes of parents to offer their top tips and suggestions, including paediatrician and fellow mum Dr Jin Russell.
"Wow, big milestone @KiriAllan! Here's mine: tell her she's got what it takes; be a non-anxious presence; remind her of the last times she was brave; do something to celebrate with her afterwards; praise her at dinner time; and praise yourself as a mama, for getting her to here," Dr Russell suggested, to which Allan responded: "You are a QUEEN! Thank you."
Former MP Jenny Marcroft also offered her two cents, writing: "Take lots of photos, drop off on the first day of school is over in a blink! Stay with her as long as you need then slip out when she's settled. Go do something straight away with a buddy who's been there before… coffee, gin, whatever." Well, that's my kind of after-school activity.
"Do you know any of the other kids at the school? Maybe ask one of them to be a buddy for her on her first day?" asked Kaz, AKA @serenity22, to which Allan replied: "Yes we do! That's a great idea."
Twitter user @scoutriver suggested setting aside time after school for a hot chocolate and debrief on the day, while former principal and diversity and inclusion advocate, Traci Liddall, advised going for lots of visits to the playground and practising the crossing to make it "super familiar".
Paediatric doctor Fiona Miles chipped in that putting a smiley face note in her lunchbox would be a sweet gesture, noting that "kids cope better than parents often". Others agreed that little tokens can help with the first-day nerves, with user @toastfloats adding: "For my girls, what did the trick was a 'magic token' we made together as a family.
"I remember #1 was something with popsicle sticks (I swear for #3 it was cookies =, which says a lot about #3) and tucked it into her bag as her talisman to remind her she had all of us supporting her."
"I used to give mine a kiss on the palm of his hand that he could 'touch' when he needed a bit of extra courage/love. An actual token is a great idea," said @bel10.
Others noted that the "big kids" can often be helpful and understanding towards the newbies, while some simply advised Allan to keep tissues on hand.
The internet has long been a place for parenting advice, with numerous forums and websites dedicated to helping experienced and newbie parents alike tackle the many challenges along the way.
Forums can also be a supportive place for people to seek reassurance that their thoughts and feelings while navigating parenthood are normal and natural. In May, a number of parents took to BuzzFeed Community to share the brutally honest reasons why they didn't want more children, while earlier that month, a number of people revealed the disagreements over children that ended their relationships.
