I have a confession to make.

I hate the school summer holidays.

As a stay at home Mum to two under two, it’s not because I have to find temporary childcare, keep usually occupied children entertained or bid farewell to a tried and tested morning schedule. It’s not because I have to pry a tweenager away from their electrical appliances or endure impromtu sleepovers. I don’t have insatiably hungry teenagers raiding the fridge all day or staying in their bedroom until 2pm. I imagine none of these scenarios are much fun and I have it all to come, but right now, the reason I hate the summer holidays is…

THERE ARE CHILDREN EVERYWHERE!

Big ones! Loud ones! Ones that don’t need to be in a buggy. Ones that can’t be soothed by a dummy or distracted by a low-flying aeroplane.

Sometimes they are in packs. Teenage girls at the local shopping centre or a troop of scooter-heads at our usually peaceful park.

The parent and child spaces are FULL! A coffee shop retreat becomes an ordeal. Queues. Everywhere. And don’t get me started on soft-play. Sugar-fuelled seven year olds in the toddler zone. Admission prices increased wherever you go. Swimming pool – not even an option. Think a quick trip to the farm is a good idea? Yeah, so does everybody else. The echo of a football bouncing on tarmac at 9pm. And worst of all…. NO PLAYGROUP????

I am sorry to say that I will spend the duration of August avoiding all of the above. I will try to organise lots of play-dates with friends and hope for good weather so we can spend time in the comfort of our back garden. We will probably brave the park for a picnic or two when the cabin fever sets in and might even venture on the odd day out. Our summer holidays will be mainly based around play-doh, painting, the paddling pool, reading, the train-set, stickers and Cbeebies. I like our little bubble and relaxed routine and I am not looking forward to it changing!

 

How do you feel about the summer holidays? Let me know in the comments below? Xx