Featured | I’m in The Daily Mail

On Thursday I was featured in the Daily Mail for an article about parents who are happy to go on holiday and leave their children. Believe me, by no means am I “Sophie Khoury” jetting off on several holidays a year, I’m just someone who wanted a week away. Is that so wrong?

Some people seemed to think so. Branded ‘selfish’, ‘scum’ and told that if I wasn’t going to take my children on holiday, why bother having them at all? Well, why bother having a job if you’re going to take 25 days holiday a year? As parents, we don’t get that. We get zero breaks built into this “job” that some people think it is. It’s not a job, it’s a bloody privilege to have my boys, but that doesn’t mean I’m any less deserving of a break sometimes. One person even suggested you could only go on holiday without your kids if you were wealthy, and that was the only difference.

Admittedly, most of the comments seemed to be aimed at Sophie, but you can’t help but feel like they’re also aimed at you, especially when you’ve contributed to the article too. The only thing is, I don’t actually care what people say. Every parent parents differently; some can’t bear the thought of leaving their kids, others are happy to take breaks.

We are really lucky to be able to take holidays away from the children. It doesn’t mean we don’t miss them, or think of them every minute we’re away, but it’s so well deserved. We all work hard as parents to constantly provide for our children and being in their company 24/7 is tough, especially when they’re being super demanding.

We knew what we were getting into when we opted to have kids, but some days you sit back and wonder how the hell you’re going to make it through the day. I have to grit my teeth, scream internally and I’ve been known to punch out a pillow some days (that’s one way to fluff them up nicely). Their constant needs take a toll on you and it’s normal, I think, to just want to have a few days away.

Parents are people too. I am human and I am happy to admit I need a break from them, but I do something about it. It’s not like we’re leaving them with a childminder, but their Grandparents who we know love them just as much as we do, and would go to the ends of the Earth for them. Toby and Ted adore their Nanny and Pop and, Toby especially, probably couldn’t think of a better way to spend a week than with them. We kept in contact while we were away and wanted to get home towards the end of the holiday.

It was so nice to just wake up in the morning and know that I only had myself to get ready, eat my breakfast in peace, and just go out and have some quality time with Jamie. We actually had a conversation at dinner time. It was just so nice to connect again, rather than be stuck in the same conversation about kids and work.

We came back from the holiday relatively well rested, with fresh heads to get back into being mummy and daddy again. 5 weeks later, we took them on holiday with us, so it’s not like we leave them behind all the time. Jamie and I even took Toby to Morocco when he was 11 months old and it was hard work. You couldn’t relax or anything and we came back a little more stressed than when we left and that’s not the point of a holiday.

As the kids get older, we’ll take them with us more and more and that’s when the memories will start to be made. But don’t judge me and think I’m selfish for taking time out. I’m a person too and we all need a break from all sorts of things. You wouldn’t be praising me for taking the kids on holiday when they’re screaming your plane down, right?

You can read the full article here. Let me know what you think..

Also.. that is the worst picture of me. Ever. It doesn’t even look like me!