Going back to school can mean different things to different children and to different families.

For my daughter it has been an exciting time – starting senior school for the first time – the prospect of meeting new people and feeling very grown-up is motivating. For other children the thought of going back to school after the long summer holidays is depressing - back to organisation, homework, rules and less play time.

For some parents going back to school can be a stressful time too. Especially if their child is going to school for the first time and their child is worried about the change. For any parent seeing your child anxious can be difficult deal with – it’s only natural to want to protect your children.

Although, for many parents this time of year can come as a welcome relief - back to reality and stability for their children, especially if they have to work and juggle their limited annual leave with childcare, relying on expensive out-of-school care, holiday clubs, family and friends to help.

At least if the children are being well looked after, without the juggling and instability, it means for most families that they can get back to normality.

And normality provides a greater opportunity to focus the mind on your priorities. Some people may start to think about getting their post-holiday finances in order after the expense of the summer holidays. Some want to plan so they can get everything in order ahead of Christmas.

But how many of us think beyond this?

In reality, it seems, not many of us. In a recent report published by Aviva, Louise Colley stated that, “Families are taking advantage of rising wages and falling living costs to increase the amount they save – in some cases in a dramatic fashion.

However, it is important to note that there are still a significant number of British families who are not saving at all. As a result, the gap between those families who are well-prepared and protected for sudden financial shocks and those who are not appears to be rising.”

And when it comes to protecting their future a significant proportion of people still don’t seem to be safeguarded – with only 35% of Britain’s families owning life insurance.

If you have school age children who rely on your income or a family living in a house with a mortgage that you pay – a life insurance policy can provide for them and protect them financially if you die.

The Money Advice Service states that, “you can’t rely on the government to take care of your family – the money they would get from the state is much lower than you’d probably expect. If you want to provide for your family financially if you die, life insurance is a must.”

So whilst, getting back to school this week for families can mean getting back to reality, getting back to reality for more than 6/10 British families could also mean looking to beyond this week and looking into the cost safeguarding their families futures.

For further advice about life insurance and protecting your family’s future, you can contact one of our advisors at Essential Insurance who’ll be happy to give you more information and answer any questions you may have.