Do you feel the pressure to always have a plan for your kids? Whether it’s school holidays, weekends, or just the hours between dinner and bedtime, so many of us working mums feel the weight of needing to fill the time, with enrichment, entertainment, structure (akin to Mary Poppins!). What if letting go of the plan is exactly what everyone needs? In this piece, I share a messy, real-life moment after the holidays that reminded me: boredom isn’t a parenting failure, it’s a gift. And read on for a free coaching tool to help you show up and be that little bit kinder to yourself.
Now, I invite you to imagine the scene…
We were back from a few lovely days away, you know the kind: wholesome caravan park fun, playgrounds, arcades, beach strolls, shell collecting, Uno battles, ice and even some sunshine.
And suddenly… we’re home.
The house is a mess.
The TV’s on.
It’s raining.
The kids are already bickering.
Work is calling.
I glanced around at the chaos and had a fleeting moment of panic, should I have booked them into a camp? Arranged playdates? Organised a colour-coded schedule of wholesome enrichment?
Then it hit me:
What if they just… entertained themselves?
So that’s what we’re doing this half-term. No camps. No itinerary. Just a pair of siblings (9 and 6) figuring it out, with occasional refereeing from me while I try to focus on work.
We’ll head off to see the Minecraft movie at some point, but when I told them they’ll be spending time in their PJs this half-term, they cheered! Actual joy!
I know this might sound dreamy if you’re in the trenches with toddlers or babies or unable to take time to be at home. I see you. I remember. And I promise your time will come (with its own new set of ‘delights’!).
But no matter your children’s age or stage, I just wanted to offer a gentle reminder, especially for us working mums, that:
✨ It’s OK not to have a plan.
✨ It’s OK for kids to be bored.
✨ It’s OK for you not to be the entertainment director every moment of the day.
Sometimes the best thing we can give our kids is a bit of space. Space to get creative, make their own fun, figure out how to navigate the “I’m bored” moments.
The picture was taken in my house last weekend:
• My son, playing table tennis on the dining table with cheap rackets he bought with his own pocket money.
• My daughter, deep in her art project on the floor. (I may regret this if the paints come out!)
Is it peaceful and Instagram-perfect? Not exactly.
But is it real life? Yes.
And honestly, this half-term, that’ll be more than enough.
Here’s to giving ourselves a break. To resisting the pressure to always be “on,” always having a plan, always curating perfect memories. Sometimes the messy, rainy, unstructured days turn out to be the ones they remember most.
Over to you
Do you feel the pressure to always have a plan?
What helps you ease off and trust that it’s enough as it is?
Sharing my ‘Self-Kindness Compass’ – a simple tool to support you in showing up for yourself, every day and building a real habit of self-kindness.
May 5, 2025
