I don't think as a parent I have ever felt so angry.
For the past 18 months, the powers that be, the Executive, Public Health Agency and Department of Health, have been repeatedly asking us to play our part to make it through this pandemic.
It's just a pity they haven't - or at least, not well enough.
For the first time this week, Covid-19 came close to our family when I was received a text at 7.18am on Monday from my daughter's primary school informing me there was a positive case in her class.
I was told she would have to stay home and get tested and if her result was negative, she could return the next day.
Thankfully, I managed to book an appointment - the last slot - at a test centre 14 miles away.
I was lucky as some others were forced to queue with small children for two-and-a-half hours at a walk-in centre or given the option to drive to Fermanagh.
I took a very nervous six-year-old for the test, which left her absolutely traumatised.
On the way home, she burst into tears and has been a nervous wreck ever since about having to get it done again on day eight.
Results received during the night informed us she was negative and the next day, she was eager to get back to school, her friends and normality.
Breakfast taken, lunch made and uniform on, we were ready to leave the house at 8.30am when another text arrived to inform us she could not return to school as her classroom needed deep cleaned.
I asked why the room had not yet been cleaned and was informed that the Education Authority had no-one available to clean the room until the following afternoon.
I was absolutely furious.
This pandemic has been ongoing for 18 months and the authorities have had the whole summer to plan for the new term - so why didn't they?
What on earth have the Education Authority been doing?
Why aren't cleaning teams at the ready to get classes reopened?
The Public Health Agency and Department of Health also need to rethink how we test children because the current system is clearly not working.
Why don't we have a test facility at each school? Just one person, on site, who can test.
Why aren't all schools carrying out lateral flow tests there and then?
The whole thing is a shambles and the authorities need to stop dragging their feet.
Our children should be in school but they're not - we deserve an explanation.
