The six-week summer holidays can come with a surprising amount of pressure.

Pressure to keep the children entertained.

Pressure to make memories.

Pressure to travel.

Pressure to somehow balance work, money, family life and your own wellbeing while making everything look effortless.

And thanks to social media, it can sometimes feel as though every summer should involve airports, endless days out and a perfectly planned itinerary.

But this summer taught me something very different.

Children don’t need the biggest experiences to have the best memories.

We travelled around the UK. We explored Wales, Reading and Birmingham. We stayed in hotels, went to soft play, wandered around new places, ate McDonald’s, visited arcades, explored shops and enjoyed simply being somewhere different together.

But behind those photographs and happy moments was another side of the summer.

I was tired.

I was working.

I was managing everyday life.

And at points, I was also dealing with some health concerns that made me question whether I should even go ahead with some of our plans.

There were moments when I felt off balance and uncertain about how much I should be doing.

For a moment, I considered cancelling one of our trips completely.

I’m glad I didn’t.

Not because I believe we should push through everything regardless of how we feel, but because it taught me something important about adapting, accepting support and listening to myself.

Somewhere between Wales, Reading, Birmingham and all the ordinary moments in between, I came away with four lessons I want to carry into future summers.

1. Adventure Doesn’t Need a Passport

For a long time, many of us have associated a “proper holiday” with getting on a plane.

Airports.

Sunshine.

Resorts.

Somewhere far away.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with travelling abroad. I want my children to experience different countries and cultures as they grow.

But this summer reminded me that fun doesn’t suddenly become more meaningful because we crossed a border.

The children were excited simply because we were going somewhere.

The train was exciting.

The hotel was exciting.

Exploring a different city was exciting.

Finding an arcade was exciting.

Even eating somewhere familiar felt different because we were somewhere new.

Children have a wonderful ability to find adventure in things adults sometimes overlook.

Sometimes we put enormous pressure on ourselves to provide huge experiences when our children are simply enjoying the novelty of experiencing life with us.

Their memories may not be:

“Mum took us to the most expensive destination.”

They may simply remember:

“We went on adventures together.”

And I’m learning that this is enough.

2. The Simple Things Win Every Time

This may have been my biggest lesson.

Some of the things the children enjoyed most were incredibly simple.

Soft play.

An arcade.

Walking around a new city.

Choosing something small from the shops.

Eating together.

Exploring somewhere unfamiliar.

Going back to the hotel after a busy day.

There were no elaborate itineraries required.

No pressure to squeeze ten attractions into twenty-four hours.

And no need to spend huge amounts of money every day.

One of our Birmingham days included soft play, McDonald’s, Primark, the arcade, walking around the city and heading back to the hotel.

Nothing extravagant.

Yet the children had an amazing time.

It reminded me that children often measure experiences differently from adults.

We sometimes measure them through cost, distance and how impressive they sound.

Children measure them through fun, connection and how something made them feel.

That changes the question completely.

Instead of asking:

“How much can I afford to give them?”

I can ask:

“What can we experience together?”

That feels lighter.

And much more sustainable.

Creating a good childhood doesn’t require constantly producing bigger and better experiences.

Sometimes it’s an arcade.

Sometimes it’s a meal they love.

Sometimes it’s walking around somewhere new.

And sometimes it’s children treating a perfectly ordinary hotel room as though you’ve booked Buckingham Palace for the weekend. 😂

The simple things really do win.

3. Planning Creates Freedom

Planning doesn’t sound particularly exciting.

But this summer showed me that preparation actually created more freedom.

Looking at travel beforehand.

Researching free activities.

Thinking about affordable food.

Knowing what was close to the hotel.

Keeping an eye on what I was spending.

Having alternative plans when the weather changed.

All of those small decisions meant that when something didn’t go according to plan, the whole day didn’t fall apart.

Rain didn’t have to mean cancelled fun.

A changed itinerary didn’t mean a ruined trip.

We could adapt.

And that is probably one of the biggest things I’ll take into future school holidays.

Planning isn’t about controlling every moment. It’s about creating enough structure to enjoy the unexpected ones.

Planning creates options.

Options reduce stress.

And less stress gives you more room to actually enjoy the experience rather than constantly worrying about what comes next.

4. Making Memories Shouldn’t Cost You Your Wellbeing

This lesson goes much deeper.

At different points this summer, I wasn’t feeling completely myself physically.

Feeling off balance made me more cautious about travelling and being out with the children.

There were days when I wondered whether I should cancel plans.

And when you are responsible for children, health worries can feel even bigger because your mind doesn’t only ask:

“Am I okay?”

It also asks:

“Will I be able to manage the children?”

That experience reminded me that looking after myself is part of looking after them.

Rest matters.

Eating properly matters.

Drinking enough water matters.

Slowing down when necessary matters.

And perhaps most importantly:

Support matters.

Parents are often praised for doing everything alone.

But I’m starting to realise that strength isn’t always carrying everything yourself.

Sometimes strength looks like accepting help.

Having somebody take some of the pressure.

Asking someone to support you.

Letting yourself rest without feeling guilty.

Recognising when you don’t need to be the person doing absolutely everything.

Because parenting was never supposed to mean disappearing as a person while making sure everybody else is okay.

My children need experiences and memories.

But they also need me well enough to enjoy those memories with them.

That is something I want to remember long after this summer ends.

What This Summer Really Taught Me

Looking back, this summer wasn’t extravagant.

It wasn’t perfectly organised.

There were tired days.

Changed plans.

Rain.

Budget decisions.

Health worries.

And moments when I wondered whether I was doing enough.

But there was also laughter.

Exploration.

New places.

Little adventures.

Rest.

Adaptation.

And three children who had a genuinely good summer.

We crossed Wales, Reading and Birmingham off our list.

But the real achievement wasn’t the number of places we visited.

It was discovering that we could create a meaningful summer without putting enormous pressure on ourselves.

So these are the lessons I’m taking forward:

Adventure doesn’t need a passport.

Big memories don’t require big spending.

Planning creates freedom.

And looking after yourself is part of looking after your children.

Think & Reflect

As another summer comes to an end, these are some questions I’m taking with me:

• What moments did my children enjoy that surprised me?
• Where did I put unnecessary pressure on myself?
• Which simple activities created the happiest memories?
• What worked well financially this summer?
• What would I plan differently next time?
• Did I give myself enough space to rest?
• Where could I accept more help or support?
• Am I trying to carry something alone that I don’t actually need to?
• What traditions or little adventures would I like to repeat?
• When my children look back on this summer, how do I hope they remember feeling?

Because perhaps the goal was never to create the perfect summer.

Perhaps it was to create a summer where we could say:

We explored.

We laughed.

We adapted.

We looked after one another.

And we made it count.