It’s the Monday morning after May half-term. The WhatsApp messages are coming in thick and fast. There are school trips to put in the diary, my oldest son’s football tour in four days to prepare for and the usual logistics that come with having three children to manage with my husband.
My first son started primary school nearly six years ago, and since then, I’ve learnt that the final six weeks of the school year are the busiest. With cake sales, a summer fair, sports day, performances and assemblies, it’s even busier than the run-up to Christmas. And at least in December, most people get a bit of a break when everything stops for a few days. In the summer term, once it ends, parents are thrown straight into the challenge of juggling the six-week-long holidays, often with an exhausting heatwave added to the mix.
I’m trying to keep on top of the messages without feeling too overwhelmed and one key thing is helping. I’m typing all my replies from a sun lounger in Ibiza – and I’m completely alone.
The poolside and beach, sheltered by the bay, at Cala San Miguel Ibiza Resort
I’ve taken solo trips before, but this two-night escape has come at the perfect time. I’ve just spent a sweaty week at home looking after my sons. My energy levels are low, my brain is full and I need a break from the cooking, demands and daily chauffeuring to and from activities.
