To have some serious mum guilt

[HypeRactivity]

I’m a lone parent to two dc, dad is very much in and out and as much use as a chocolate teapot I work full time obviously to try and keep a roof over our heads and it’s Killing me.

I’ve barely spent anytime with the dc over this half term, we had a weekend away booked for bank holiday but I’ve just had an email to say the person has over booked and has had to cancel, I won’t get a refund until at least next week so said I would try and take them to a theme park, however just looking at the prices it’s going to cost at least £200 just for one day and that’s without food or anything else on top and I just cannot afford to do that.
I know they’re going to be disappointed, but else can I do?

You snuggle and and watch movies, take them to the park and buy ice cream, feed ducks, visit friends and family.

Your children will remember you, not what you’ve spent.

Just a thought. Planet radio has offers for discounted days out across the UK. Take sandwiches?

Oh I know it’s not about money spent, it was more the treat for not really having me around as much and the poor little buggers being passed from pillow to post when I’ve had to work.

I’ve had to pay out for holiday childcare and have reduced my hours this week so I can be home in the evening, so won’t get paid as much as I usually do which has messed me up a bit.

Oh that sucks. How old are they OP? We are pulling ours out of school to do an overnighter at a theme park (sun-mon). Far cheaper and less busy. Could you promise them this when you’ve had your refund? There should be a few cheap/free local events going on as it’s Easter weekend. Whereabouts are you - Can you head into London to the museums? Fish and chips and watch the sunset and the beach? Ask the DC what they would like to do. Chances are they can come up with something cheap, they’ll just be happy to spend time with you. Whenever I spend one on one time with each DC and they’re allowed to pick what we do - it’s never been anything overly expensive (pottery painting, cinema, bowling, hot chocolate on the beach).

They’re 11 so not really into the whole Easter egg hunt type things they used to do when little and at the moment everything they want to do is expensive I usually save the sun tickets for the theme parks for this exact reason, so it’s not as if they haven’t been so will just have to wait until the summer.

I’m also in London so have booked to go natural history museum on Sunday, may try and do bowling for Saturday I just don’t know what to do with them anymore.

Can you invite their friends over? One each. Sometimes mine enjoy that as much as an expensive outing if you throw in Aldi pizza and ice cream. Maybe another parent is at a loose end.