Is it Really Worth Going on Holiday?

Taking a break away from your family can fill you up, but with the prep and the payback do the pros outweigh the cons?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece extolling the power of holidays when you have children. My boyfriend and I have been fortunate enough to have taken several trips away from our kids (some fancy, some to stay with mates somewhere in the U.K.). Nearly all have been fantastic, creating little windows over the past six years of parenthood, just for us. We don’t have close relatives living in any kind of proximity, so in contrast to the quantity of multi-generational childcare lots of families rely on (almost two thirds of grandparents regularly look after their grandkids in this country, saving the government £96bn), we are lucky to have a couple of quality weeks off a year. Covid put the kibosh on our 50:2 annual set up (50 weeks for the kids and two just for us), but we’ve had great adult adventures since the pandemic, and I continue to encourage any other parents to take time away together if it’s financially viable and the childcare is available. There’s no change in my overall philosophy: leave any guilt at your front door and bring a tinny with you for the Heathrow Express.

However. Something in my personal balance has recently tipped. I’d say it’s both work and parenting related, but it’s also due to the changing dynamics of my relationship. At a certain point this week, after surveying the carnage that my most recent break had wreaked, I have begun to wonder: is it really worth it?