I have a great job with great hours that allow me to drop the kids off at Breakfast club when they’re at school and be back in time to pick them up after school. I get most weekends off and I genuinely enjoy my job so I know how lucky I am.
The problem comes during the school holidays because as flexible as my work are, it’s just not possible for me to be off work with them all of the time unless I took time off unpaid which is not an option!
So, since the kids broke up at the end of July, they’ve had a full week where they just chilled out at home and we did practically nothing – a recharge your batteries week we called it, ready to go again for the rest of the Summer.
I had the next two weeks off with them and we had a week away at Butlins with Jen and her boys where we had days out to Brighton and London as well as visiting the new Prince in Bucklebury (we made poor Jen drive past the heavily guarded gates twice). We also did the Sunderland Air show, Harry Potter World and Knowlsey Safari Park and managed to fit in some play dates and trips to the beach and the park.
I’m now back at work for two weeks so they’re doing their own thing again until I get in from work. We’ve also managed to fit in a back to school shopping trip to the Metrocentre, go karting and a day at Lightwater Valley on my day off.
Then I have the last week of the holidays off with them and we’re planning to go to Blackpool to see the illuminations getting turned on as well as a trip to somewhere like Alnwick castle.
It’s not the money side of things that I’m worried about as I know that we’re really lucky to have been invited as guests to a lot of the places we’ve been to – it’s more about the fact that I feel like I have to do things with them when I’m off because when I’m at work, they’re just entertaining themselves.
I know they don’t need to be doing things all the time and they’re happy at home playing out with their friends or just relaxing in the house but I still feel like I need to be doing things with them.
I love that we get to do so much together but sometimes I wish I didn’t feel the need to do so much.
