Days Out & Holidays
Six and a half weeks, three boys, one mum still standing. My complete summer holiday survival system — rhythm, budget, boredom policy and the 4pm ceasefire.
Gemma Whitfield
Mum of three boys · 2 July 2026 · 6 min read
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Three boys, staggered bedtimes, one knackered mum. The bedtime routine that gets everyone down by eight — most nights — without the hour-long hostage talks.
The screen wars nearly broke me. The truce — rotas, screen-free zones and one weird rule about endings — that ended the daily battle with my three boys.
Three boys means three parties a year, every year, forever. How we throw birthdays the boys rave about for under £100 — venue, food, cake and party bags.
Fish finger teas, refereeing with a biscuit in hand, hiding in the loo for five minutes' peace. Ten guilts I've formally resigned from as a mum of three boys.
Football kit, PE bags, school jumpers, mud. The washing system that keeps three boys in clean(ish) clothes without me becoming a full-time laundress.
Under £20 for all five of us, or it doesn't make the list. The cheap UK days out my three boys genuinely rate — scored by the boys themselves.
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