With restaurants closed, finances straightened and the kids home from school, our kitchens have never been so exhaustingly in demand.

Feeling the strain? You’re not alone.

If the thought of cooking yet another meal puts your teeth on edge, we know your pain…

Three meals a day seems inconceivable. You only just washed up breakfast and suddenly it’s 1pm and the whole cycle starts all over again. The merry-go-round never seems to stop.

There are never enough snacks in the house. It doesn’t matter how many cereal bars and satsumas you ordered in the last big shop, they vanish within moments of being unpacked, meaning the number of times you’re asked, ‘When’s dinner?’ has exponentially increased.

You used to look forward to trying out new recipes. Now even opening a cookbook is beyond you. Who has the time? Or the energy?!? Or all the right ingredients?!?

What used to be beloved meals that all the family clamoured for, now taste like dust you make them so often. Once upon a time, your lasagne was met with ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhhs’, now it’s, ‘Oh, not again!’

You don’t understand the fuss around food delivery kits. They still involve you turning the oven on, but bring with them additional stress around all the non-recyclable packaging and having to work out what all the different tubs are filled with anyway. Dinner shouldn’t be a puzzle to solve.

They joy has finally gone out of receiving your veg box. At first it was like getting a present every other week, filled with the excitement of not knowing what you’d be sent. Now, you’re totally over playing Ready, Steady, Cook every single night with a giant parsnip and a bag of radishes.

Food shows on telly make you want to scream. You don’t need inspiration! You need a professional to come to your house and take over! Not faff around on screen with garnishes and twice cooked chips, telling you it’s worth the bother. NO, IT’S NOT.

You’ve taken to passively aggressively not even mentioning dinner, in the hope someone else will step in before 7pm and say the magic words: ‘Takeaway?’

Breakfast is the same every day. Yoghurt, banana, granola. There will be no deviation, no requests taken – the quicker it’s over, the better. You miss croissants from Pret almost as much as being able to go on holiday.

At least 12 times a day, you find yourself stood in front of the fridge, trying not to cry. While also trying to work out how to use up all the dregs in there.