My daughter Jemima is only a toddler, but she’s already experiencing the gender pay gap. In the two years since she was born, I’ve spent more on her than I have on my two sons combined.

I’m not the only mother guilty of this - a study this month by Sainsbury’s Bank found that parents spend £300 a year more on their daughters than their sons in their first five years. The average cost of raising a son until the age of five is around £5,475, compared with £5,767 for a daughter, according to the Family Finance Report. The difference increases to £400 a year between the ages of six and 13, and £600 a year between 14 and 18.

In my case, this is partly because four-year-old Edward was handed down most of his belongings from his brother Charlie, seven - but mainly, it’s because clothes and toys for little girls are so much prettier.