By Isle of Wight Observer
The cost of ferries, airline cancellations, and EU border delays are all good reasons to stay home this summer. I’d bet many mums with children will be relieved to forgo a family holiday. Let’s face it, travelling with kids is always a chore. I remember one of our family trips to Pembrokeshire: before setting off, we waited hours for my dad to finish his bread deliveries. By the time he got home, Mum was at the end of her tether with six over-excited kids. Half an hour later, in the overloaded car, Dad lost it, turned around and headed straight back home. We did eventually set off again once things had calmed down, and spent the long journey in complete silence.
Our seaside holidays usually involved static caravans. We’d arrive, unpack, and my mum would settle onto a sofa with several novels.
Other than cooking, she’d stay put until it was time to go home. Kids made their own entertainment in those days. We fetched cows or collected eggs on working farms. Eating out has always been expensive for families, and the usual nutritional rules go out the window.
There’s no chance of getting your five a day unless you’re self‑catering – and is that even a holiday if Mum’s still cooking? She’s also the one who spends weeks prepping and packing, then faces a fortnight’s washing when you get home. Imagine how she feels when people ask, “Did you have a good break?”
In Britain, the weather is either scorching or pouring with rain. Three of us once needed a trip to casualty with sunburn. Inevitably, everyone ends up falling out at some point too.
Women definitely have tougher lives than men, not just on holiday. Some of my kids are parents now, and being a modern dad seems harder than it used to be. Don’t get me wrong, I played with mine, did the school run, ferried them to clubs and cheered from the touchline. But I was rarely looking after babies. In the ’80s, men didn’t usually handle babes in arms, nor did we bother with antenatal classes or scans. Dads put in an appearance during labour but slipped away as soon as possible afterwards. I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember doing much nappy changing. I’ve done more of the grandchildren’s than I ever did my own. Once mother and baby were home, men quickly resumed their normal sleep routine – we had to get up for work, after all.
Heroically, my long‑suffering wife did all the night feeds and nocturnal nappy changes. Most dads were the same back then; baby care was seen as a maternal chore – or pleasure, depending on your viewpoint. Dad now seems completely involved; it’s 50/50, or as near as dammit. Even if some people would have you believe biological men can become female, I haven’t yet heard of anyone other than females breastfeeding. Who knows? – science may sort that out one day.
Older people love talking about the good old days, usually with a hint of criticism for the current generation. It seems entirely unjustified. The high cost of housing has changed everything. My generation could escape poverty with hard work. We could scrape together a deposit and benefited hugely from house‑price inflation. Today, it’s almost impossible for a working couple to pay a mortgage and bills unless both work full‑time. If you want to raise children, co‑parenting is essential. Family life has never been harder.