Jennifer Barton, 41, a mother of four, tries a low-key, free week at home to see if the school holidays can be just as special – without the stress.
During school holidays I try to give the world to my children – or the best I can within the M25.
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I’m a freelance journalist and I like to take most of the semester off, but I end up looking ragged while transporting the kids Diana, 13, Liv, 11, Stella, 8, and Ada, 6. fun days in London.
Arts and sports camps, theater shows, and restaurant lunches inevitably drain my energy—and my bank balance.
And I’m not alone.
Research from American Express has found that the average family will spend £3,045 in 2024 entertaining each child during the school holidays – and it’s a bill many of us are struggling to pay amid the cost of living crisis.
I’m not sure when I decided that every school holiday needed to be an unforgettable experience.
Maybe it was pressure from social media.
Or maybe I was compensating for the lack of space for them to play.
Or maybe it’s guilt because we can’t go on vacation abroad.
The girls share rooms, and our postage-stamp-sized garden in Clapham, south-west London, isn’t big enough for football or a trampoline.
‘Relaxed approach’
It also means a big mess, which stresses me out, and it’s easier to keep the kids out of the house.
My pre-digital childhood was not like that.
My generation was left to make its own fun, which made us perfectly happy.
Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley agrees that constantly entertaining your children seems like a modern concept.
She says: “There is pressure to make sure you ‘spend time’ with your children – and parents, usually mothers, are much more involved in what they are doing.
“But I think that comes from other adults, not children, and social media has increased that.
“It’s possibly a British thing. Scandinavians are known for a more laid-back approach and letting children loose outdoors without supervision.
“Whereas we are more afraid of something bad happening and also of being judged. This can lead to excessive compensation, which makes vacations much more difficult and tiring.
“It also means children don’t have the chance to decompress or embrace boredom, which encourages creativity and problem-solving skills.”
So could we make it through the week by cutting entertainment costs and staying close to home? I did a five-day trial to find out. . .
MONDAY
MY husband Will, 39, was working all week at his finance job and there was no need to drag the kids out of bed at dawn, so Monday started with a good night’s sleep.
“We will do as little as humanly possible this week,” I declared over breakfast.
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“Park, library, playdates. . . ”
Applause erupted around the table – not the reaction I expected.
The board games came out: Sushi Go!, Operation, Monopoly, which took forever, as always.
But for the first time, we had four hours to spare.
I was thrilled to see the kids gathered around the board, laughing and competitive, but also coaching each other.
In the afternoon, I dug out the contents of the craft cupboard, went upstairs for a quick workout, and got another shock on the way down.
The children worked silently around the table, creating their own board games.
“We’re teaming up,” Liv informed me. “Using each other for entertainment.” Perhaps the key to family harmony is not putting pressure on any of us.
MONEY SAVED: £249.30 (Legoland tickets for one adult and four children, £195, return train plus bus, £54.30)
TUESDAY
AFTER a day inside our four walls, we needed fresh air.
So we played basketball in the garden and went to the park.
I dug out the kit for our favorite family activity during lockdown – skating – which was just as fun as we remembered.
“I feel so relaxed, Mommy. I don’t have to worry about going places,” Stella said, which made me feel a pang of guilt.
Was my usual education too intense?
We spent the afternoon in chef mode, making our own pizzas with dough balls.
It wasn’t easy and it took a long time, but everyone was stuck.
Additionally, each child had a few moments of one-on-one conversation with me—not easy in our family of six—while they kneaded the dough.
MONEY SAVED: £150 (Lunch for five at Pizza Express, including two children’s meals, with soft drinks and dessert, £105, a game of bowls for five £45)
WEDNESDAY
LIKE most siblings, my children love each other. . . until they don’t.
A battle was brewing between the older two, so I accepted date offers for each and sent them to friends’ houses for half a day.
I took the others to see a furry friend – Pork Chop, my sister-in-law’s bulldog puppy.
It reminded me of how we used to visit hamsters at Pets At Home after our 11 year old bulldog died a few years ago.
He always turned his frown upside down – and it was gratuitous.
Later, back home, I was surprised to see my 13-year-old son picking up a vacuum while I was cooking dinner and the younger two were playing with Lego.
I was worried about the increase in clutter from everyone being home constantly, but the slower pace meant I was less stressed about tidying up.
And, miraculously, the girls wanted to help.
MONEY SAVED: £138 (London Zoo tickets for one adult and four children £118, petrol and parking £20)
THURSDAY
MY kids love reading, so we went to the library where there were crafts to do, music to listen to, and friends to meet.
Later, the weather was bad, so I freed up my teen’s Nintendo Switches, tablets, and phone.
The usual holiday rule is no more than an hour on phones and social media in the morning and evening – and we stick to it.
Fortunately, when it came time to put the technology away, there were few complaints as being at home more meant they could have more TV.
MONEY SAVED: £92 (Garfield film tickets at Vue cinema, plus popcorn and drinks £80, pool entry £12)
FRIDAY
ON the last day the weather had improved and I was eager to get out—but not to spend a fortune.
We went into central London to explore and stopped at Lush cosmetics store where we got Shrek bath bombs, enjoyed street performers and window shopping.
I brought packed lunches to make sure we didn’t need to buy food.
MONEY SAVED: £180 (Trip to the Science Museum with free entry but access to Wonderlab and Power Up exhibitions, £120, gift shop visit £20, trip to cafe for cake and hot chocolate, £40)
VERDICT
OUR vacation at home left me more relaxed than ever.
I even had less laundry to do since they were wearing comfortable clothes and pajamas.
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The slower pace meant I was better able to engage with the kids, as well as spot fights that were brewing.
And they were resting a lot, using their creativity and bond as brothers.
All the girls told me they loved our week, and now I realize that I don’t need to plan every minute of my kids’ vacation to make them feel special.
I also saved around £800 compared to our normal semester.
As I’m self-employed, taking time off to look after the girls means I don’t get paid.
This week has been a reminder that I can slow down, do less, and stop to smell the roses.
Or, in our case, build the Lego flower bouquet.
TOTAL SAVINGS: £809.30
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
