Parenting manuals? Pfft. The internet is now the flustered parent's first port of call for tricky questions of all kinds.
From the earliest years ("Should baby poo really be that colour?") to the curious years ("Daddy, what's the most aggressive penguin in the world? Ask Mr Google! Ask Mr Google!") online sources are preserving millions of parents' sanity. Not to mention their wafer-thin claims to omniscience.
Which brings me neatly on to loom bands.
My seven year-old son appears to have quietly put in the regulation 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at weaving tiny coloured rubber bands into intricate designs – this year's craze among pre-teen children.
Judging by the 50p-per-wristband he's charging family members, he's also honing his entrepreneurial skills.
Meanwhile, I've been floundering: my schooldays taught me to flick an elastic band across the room at someone's nose with decent accuracy, but not how to craft a neatly finished fishtail bracelet, let alone a dress worth £170,000 on eBay.
Enter, the internet. In the last week of panicked research, several YouTube channels, websites and apps have been helping me feel rather less at sea.
On this, the second day of the school summer holidays in the UK, I suspect there are a few other parents in the same boat. With that in mind, here are some of the best sources I've been using to become less of a loom-n00b.
Justin’s Toys (above)
An accessible collection of how-to videos on this YouTube channel, from easy bracelets through to more complicated fare like skeleton-puppet and snail charms.
Rainbow Loom
The official website of the company that's done most to fuel the loom bands craze, its design may be basic, but it has a good spread of tutorials for novices.
InstaLoom
Taking its cues from Instagram, this iPhone app is a social network for loom-band makers showing off their creations: less step-by-step guides, and more inspiration.
TutorialsByA
More advanced fare in this YouTube channel: perfect if you want to make your children fall over in surprise at your ability to make a loom Snow White or unicorn.
Loomlove
This website has more how-tos that go beyond basic bracelets, from sun charms and rattlesnakes to peas in a pod, presented in easy-to-follow video format.
Loom Video Tutorials
An iOS app with more video tutorials, drawing from the websites listed above, among others. Its developer's other apps include the Loom Nation community.
DIYMommy
This YouTube channel has some really inventive advanced tutorials to follow, specialising in 3D charms: strawberries, footballs and a marvellous guinea pig.
Rainbow Loom
Searching for "loom bands" on Android's Google Play store brings up a haystack of apps, but this is one of its needles: aggregating video how-tos for various levels.
Crafty Ladybug
Another YouTube channel – I've found videos the best medium for learning – with tutorials including an octopus, fireman and dalmatian.
CoolMomPicks
For its Ninja Charm alone, this blog post is worth bookmarking, but it also offers 12 more designs for parents who've moved beyond basic loom crafting.
• Pass Notes: Loom bands rubber bracelets craze
