How would you describe your most recent family holiday?
Relaxing, fun, exhausting?! How about life-changing?
For one mum who attended a Take A Break holiday with her two children, not only did her family get to have fun together and a break from normal routine, but the experience felt like ‘the start of something new’.
Sarah tells us why …
We have been a little family of three since I had to separate from my husband a few years ago. I have two wonderful children, aged 10 and 5, but it’s hard work at times bringing them up on my own. It’s been an emotional time for us all, and we’ve had to adjust to moving house, while I’ve faced the challenge of returning to work and juggling child care. I want to do the very best I can for my children so they don’t miss out on opportunities that other children have, but trying to do that with only one wage and one parent is exhausting. There are always so many decisions to make and things that need doing.
I came across the Take A Break holiday information on the Care for the Family website and we thought we’d give it a go as a welcome change from camping! I wasn’t sure how we would find spending the week with people we didn’t know, but it turned out be the best holiday we’ve ever had!
We came back full of such a lot of happy memories. The children both loved making new friends, and my son really benefited from starting to develop his own independence while we were away, which I found strange to get used to at first, but it has in fact made us closer. I found new friends who were in similar situations to me which made me feel so much less alone; being able to share our experiences together was really helpful. The activities were fantastic, we would never be able to afford to do all those things anywhere else. We got to spend the week outdoors in a stunning location and I barely had to make any decisions all week – everything was organised for us! We tried so many new things and laughed such a lot.
The staff were amazing, they genuinely did care and we felt loved and valued just as we are. Being accepted and cared about in such practical ways on the holiday was life-changing. I even came away with family holiday photos with both myself and the children (I’m normally the one behind the camera).
The encouragement and support from the holiday has really had a huge effect in giving me strength to make a fresh start. The support we had within the group and from the leaders made us believe we could do things we thought we couldn’t, and I now feel stronger and more confident. It gave me courage to face difficulties, knowing I’m not alone. Our little family team has grown stronger too. We share the washing and drying up like we did on the holiday and little things like that seem to increase the respect we have for each other. We appreciate each other more and enjoy doing all sorts of things together. It does feel like the start of something new.
Take A Break holidays run every summer at locations across the UK. Packed full of activities, they’re a great chance to try new things, meet new friends who understand the challenges of being a single parent and build memories together as a family.
If you’re a single parent family with children aged between 5–15, have a look at the Take A Break web page. Spaces and bursaries are limited so book early.
A holiday with Take A Break will be relaxing and fun, with a few exhilarating activities thrown in! We’re sure this holiday will have a positive and lasting impact on your family.
There is plenty more for single parents and those supporting single parent families on our website:
- Sign up to our inspiring newsletter
- Join the Facebook group
- Run a support group with our free resources
- Buy a copy of Surviving and Thriving on the Single-Parent Journey
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At Care for the Family we support couples, parents and those who have been bereaved. If you would be able to make a one off donation to support our work, we would be very grateful. Thank you.
