My boys think it’s uncool to get a lift home from school. They’d rather be on the bus with the others, standing in the aisle with their earphones in one ear and their school bags over one shoulder. Sometimes they try to walk home but I’m worried they’ll hurt their backs, carrying all those books.

Why do you do that with your bags, I ask them. Why do you have to do everything like you don’t care? Why can’t you be proud of doing well? When you’re older, you’ll learn that it’s cool to do something well.