Jools Oliver has confessed to finding change "hard". Following a wonderful summer with her five children, the doting mum – who is married to Jamie Oliver – penned a lengthy Instagram message about her youngest children returning to school, and wondering how to fill that void.
"First few days back at school and my head is all over the place!!" she wrote. "I find change SO hard. For the first few days of any big change I yearn and long for the old routine back whatever that looked like it would be something I am just used to."
No doubt many parents would be able to relate to this. Alongside a compilation clip, which you can watch in the video below, the mum-of-five added: "I find the holidays the absolute hardest. I know it's because this stage means a new term, new year group, River moving up to year 3 wearing a big blazer, expectations for him to be a 'big boy' to soon!!
"As my timeline is measured in school terms it's clearer to see that big changes are happening for us all and time as I get older goes way to fast [heart emoji] so attempting a fancy reel to remember our beautiful summer holidays…..where there was unforgettable laughter (till we cried) tears/tantrums and moods for all sorts of reasons!"
She rounded off the emotional post with: "I would do it all again in a heartbeat [heart emoji] thank you summer holidays for your precious time as always xxx."
Jools and Jamie, who have been married for 23 years, are loving parents to five kids, Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 12 and seven-year-old River.
Fans rushed to comment on the bittersweet post, with one agreeing: "Time is a funny old thing. We wish it away. We take it for granted. We don’t consider it. We consider it. We buy the next uniform size up. We make the last one fit the next size down. We inadvertently live in an up and down and perhaps that’s a kick to live in the now. This is a lovely video."
Another said: "I feel exactly the same, totally hear you. I hate endings, beginnings & change but they come anyway so we must embrace them. Every Summer hols I feel like it's been the best one yet but all my babies are another year older."
A third post read: "Your words capture the emotional roller coaster so well of parenting and what a beautiful reel." A fourth person stated: "Awh darling, I feel ya!! Big hugs. Amazing pics. Fab core memories to last them and you a lifetime xxx."