Time seems to fly by so quickly. As we get older, each year is a smaller percentage of our lives. What seems like a speedy four months to us adults, is a whopping three per cent of a ten-year old’s entire life. Hence, a lot can happen in those four months.

In four months, a kid can go from having a full smile to a toothy grin. A girl can bounce from four different new best friends. A boy can drive you crazy for a diablo, spend a few weeks mastering it before abandoning it on a shelf somewhere. Playground crazes move on from mass Fidget Spinning to Squishies.

It’s been four months since your children have last had to fit into their summer clothes. They might fit. They might not. If you are going abroad to chase the sun, this a problem. You can’t run to Brent Cross and pick some things up at the last minute. The shelves are dominated by winterwear. Usually it’s easier to try everything on at once but buying children’s summer clothes in December is not possible at the shops.

This is where the internet steps up and the screen’s light shines in the darkness. You can find something light in the jumble of cashmere and booties. It sings out to you like the holiday carols we love to hear but pretend to ignore. Be swift and decisive. There is no time for leaving things in the basket for later. Sizes are scarce and your delivery and return window is limited.

Yes, time flies, but when it comes to winter holidays parents need to pick and click before we fly, too.