AT this time of year everybody’s looking around at the holidays that they going to take in the summer. As a single parent I’d love to just book one and fly off, but you know it’s never as simple as that. And being on my own throws up some issues that I’d never considered.

Last year we went away with another family and a friend of mine, and that was absolutely perfect, just a big gang of us we all took care of each other.

The first hurdle this year is the price. You can only get a free child place if there are two paying adults going as well, otherwise I’m paying full price for a four-year-old who’ll eat one slice of garlic bread a day, not good value from the all-inclusive buffet.

I started to try and imagine us being away and thought about taking my little girl to the beach. She’s never one to shy away from the water and of course I wouldn’t let her go in the sea on her own so would have to go in with her, but who would look after our stuff, I couldn’t just leave my handbag there with my phone and all the other bits, but there’s no way I’d let her wander out on her tod.

The next scenario I came up with, I could see causing some real problems. Imagine the scene, my preschooler is in the pool (like she is for approximately eight hours a day on holiday) and I need the toilet. The chances of her getting out of the pool to come with me are close to zilch, zero, not a hope. How would you get around that one? Sit on a lounger with your legs crossed for an hour as you wait for her to get out, I couldn’t just leave her there bobbing about in her armbands.

I have lovely memories of our time away last year, a big gang of us, which meant she always had somebody to play with, fast forward to this year and mummy will get no peace. Even now it’s spoiling my dreams of sitting on a sun lounger, on the 45th page of my book as the sun beams down on me, ahhh relax.

Catch Zoe on Heart Breakfast 6-10 and read her ‘Bad mum’ blog at www.zoehanson.com

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