10 Truths About Bank Holidays Now You’re A Parent

1. If you’re a working mum…

It’s not an extra day off, it’s an extra day on. Yep, small children beat work demands every time. [Corbis]

2. If you’re a stay-at-home mum…

It’s just like any other day – except you can’t get a table at your favourite café. On the plus side, your partner is home to split nappy changing/bottle preparing/lunch making. Happy days. [Corbis]

3. Childcare is ludicrously hard to find

If you’re working on a bank holiday, chances are your normal childcare has fallen apart – the local nursery has shut and your childminder has swanned off to the seaside. So now begins the search for a replacement (and the stress of settling your tot with a new face). [Corbis]

4. … And expensive

Kerrrrching (think nannies). Double time = double the cost.

5. Everything’s shut

Forget planning to wile away a few hours at a soft gym or attending the music group your toddler loves – chances are most places will be shut. [Corbis]

6. … So, you’ll spend the day racking your brain for things to do

Trip to the park? Done. Painting? Done (took up five minutes). Post-painting clear up? Done (took 50 minutes) Baking? Done (Badly). Games? Done.  Hmm, what else is there? Am I allowed to give out the iPad yet? [Corbis]

7. You’ll be woken earlier than usual

Staying in bed until lunch on a bank holiday is a distant memory. With the excitement of dad being home for the day and their disturbing ability to be able to detect a holiday, your kids will probably be up even earlier than usual. But at least you can hide under the duvet and send your partner in for morning dad-duties. [Corbis]

8. Bad weather is practically a death sentence

For at least two weeks before the bank holiday weekend, you’ll be praying for cloudless skies and the promise of a beach trip or letting your kids play with the hose-pipe, at least. Parent or not, some thing’s never change. And yes, it will probably rain. [Corbis]

9. And if the weather is good

…and you decide to head to the beach, you’ll probably realise every other family has had exactly the same idea, so you'll be faced with the horror of traffic. Being at a standstill with a small and hungry baby in tow is not something you'll wish to repeat. [Corbis]

10. A DVD is your best friend

Yes, it’s not perfect parenting but once you’ve done all those other things (see 6) it will provide you with 90 minutes of blissful you time. [Corbis]