“My husband works at sea and had to spend an entire month away when my baby was four weeks old. Throughout those weeks, a few good friends often came round to bring me hot food, help with the laundry or just to play board games.

It sounds like a small thing but just having some social time without the stress of taking a newborn out really helped me.

I’ve never forgotten that. That month was incredibly hard but they eased it as much as they could.”

Jemma, one child aged six

“At work, I often find myself accepting more and more responsibility, with my to-do list growing ever longer, mainly because I find it difficult to say no.

It’s something I’m having to tackle as I try to marry the ‘two me’s’ – ‘mum me’ and ‘work me’. During a particularly hectic week filled with meetings, my work neighbour picked up on my stress and asked if there was anything she could take off my plate.

We grabbed a spare meeting room and went through my list item by item, picking off small things that she could pick up while I tackled my most pressing projects. That small act of kindness, emotional intelligence, and calm, practical support was exactly what I needed and took a massive weight off my mind.”

Hannah, one child aged three

“My husband’s aunt often has Tupperwares of frozen chicken curry or mince in her freezer and she will drop them off whenever she thinks we may need them.

They have saved us at dinnertime on so many occasions. It’s such a loving thing to do and the tubs are exactly the right size for a meal for my family of four.

Sometimes the prospect of cooking just feels completely exhausting, so having a well-stocked freezer really has been a lifeline.”

Emma, two children aged three and six

“A friend of mine picked up my son after school last week and took him for a picnic and a milkshake with her daughter. My husband was working away and I was having a tough week, so it was massively appreciated.

This same friend has also picked my children up when I’ve been unwell. When you don’t live near family, mates like this are invaluable.”

Cat, two children aged two and five

“Since becoming a mum, the kind of surprises I’ve become accustomed to are forgetting non-uniform day or the school norovirus outbreak reaching my kids the same morning of my annual review.

However, sometime the surprises are good – like when my partner books me a solo cinema trip mid-week or makes a plan to take the children out for the day at the weekend so I can invite my friends over to catch up without distraction. Even the gift of time to get out the house for some fresh air and my favourite podcast.

When my partner is having a busy time, I try to do the same. Shared responsibility and realising your need for alone time isn’t something we should feel guilty about as mums – it’s a necessity, not a luxury.”

Allie, two children aged five and seven

“During a very difficult period a friend appeared on my doorstep and offered to clean my flat from top to bottom.

She wouldn’t take no for an answer, and we ended up eating dinner together once it was all done, which was really lovely.

It was such an amazing gift and totally unexpected. I would never have thought to do that for someone, but it made such a difference.”

Anna, three children aged five, eight and 10 

“When my daughter was still at nursery and my partner and I both worked full-time in London, friends of ours saved us many times when public transport issues stopped us from getting back to nursery in time for pick up.

Even when they didn’t have a spare car seat, they’d sit outside nursery singing songs with her and generally keeping her happy and occupied. It made an incredibly stressful period a lot easier to manage.”

Heleen, one child aged 10

“My mum drove a four-hour-round trip every week after I gave birth to scrub my kitchen floor and tidy my kitchen. Her mum did it for her and she did it for me.

I also had friends who made me endless cake when I was breastfeeding and struggling, to help me keep my milk supply up.”

Emma, two children aged 15 and 10

“As a South African I had no family nearby to help. I now have a tribe of friends and we all help each other with house sitting, babysitting, pet sitting etc. It takes a village.”

Claire, two children aged five