We’ve just had two week off school for Easter.
Fortunately I had airtight plans in place that would enable me to continue to work and have both kids at home, and still do loads of exciting and education activities. We had plans for outdoor activities for exercise and fresh air and much more besides.
At the start of the holidays I was all very excited. I had reduced some of my work for the fortnight and set up an uber-organised plan for when I would be free and when it was kiddie time.
Seriously? How optimistic was that? In fairness I was asking for something to go a bit wrong. And it did.
First of all there was the weather. Wet, windy, dark, cold…. I had forgotten to factor in April showers.
Then there was illness. Kieran was ill for four days, Taylor spend a week cutting back teeth (in a very disturbingly clingy and tearful way – Kieran’s just popped through so worries, poor Taylor was past himself!) and then to add insult and injury Taylor got a rip-roaring ear infection. My poor children!
Lets just say that my uber-plan was recycled and used to make a paper airplane and everything ground to a halt. There was no way I could do any more than basic admin during the day so I ended up working stupidly long evenings and starting very early (i.e. before the cuckoo) to get everything done.
It may not have gone to plan exactly but all the work got done, the kids were well looked after and the house has even stay almost tidy. Not bad going really.
The beauty of being freelance for me is that I can pick up extra work when required, lower my workload if necessary and can work whatever hours I like so that I can be truly flexible to fit in with the needs of the family, the home, and my own schedule outside of work.
Airtight isn’t airtight when you have kids and we may not have stuck to “The Plan” but we had fun and spent lots of quality time together. I think I’ll stop with the super organised plans for holiday times in the future and just go with the flow!
The Easter holidays have arrived and before we know it the long summer holidays will be here. Six or seven weeks of trying to keep the kids entertained and fit in as many cultural, educational and downright fun days possible before the new term starts.