The scene for some parents looks like this: You lovingly create a Fortnite character from ham, nestled against a backdrop of your child’s favourite crackers. The crusts are off the honey sandwich, as demanded. There is a packet of the favourite chippies and a bar that claims to contain veggies but seems to be mostly sugar.  You add an apple and a carrot stick for freshness and to assuage guilt. Then you send it out into the world with a host of kisses and wait, impatiently.

We do not doubt that our child will learn to read.

We spend years reading to our child even though they cannot read one word back to us. At no point do we throw our hands up in despair and feel that it is a “waste of time”.