A typical day in the Skinner household:

5.30am-6.30am: Evie wakes up – Linda and Richard take it in turns to give her breakfast.

7am: The rest of the house start waking up. Richard makes the sandwiches, while Linda gets breakfast. Linda will put some washing in the tumble dryer and put another load on. She does at least two loads a day – including one overnight on Economy 7.

8.30am: Richard leaves for work.

8.40am: Linda does the school/nursery run. Evie comes back home with Linda, or they drop in at the Sure Start centre for a play.

11.30am: Katie finishes nursery. Linda usually picks her up or a friend will drop her off at home.

Noon: Lunch, followed by housework, more washing and entertaining the two little ones.

3.30pm: School run time again

5.30pm: Richard arrives home and the family have dinner. The kids help with the clearing up, including emptying and loading the dishwasher.

6.30pm: Evie's bedtime

6.45pm: Katie's bedtime

7.15pm: Joshua's bedtime

7.30pm: Ethan's bedtime

8pm: Emily's bedtime (Linda doesn't bath the kids every night – "that's a waste of time" – just twice a week or so).

9pm: Bedtime for the older kids.

10pm: Linda's bedtime.Richard follows some time afterwards.