This is such an easy trap to fall into. Either you’ve got FOMO, or you’re panicking that your child isn’t doing enough outside the house. And let’s not forget the echoing voices of people asking, “But what about socialisation??”—as if kids spontaneously turn into awkward woodland creatures the momnt they’re not in a classroom.

So yeah, there were definitely times I went full overachiever mode and packed our schedule like we were training for a social marathon. Almost every day had an outing or two. I was basically a tour guide with snacks.

But surprise! The lack of time at home was actually doiing more harm than I realised. I was burnt out. Properly.

Because let’s be real—just getting out the door with kids is a full-body workout. Between planning, prepping snacks, tracking down shoes that mysteriously vanish daily, packing “just in case” clothes (because puddles are magnetic to children), car activities, and sibling negotiations—it’s a journey before the journey.

Then you come home, dump out the chaos: dirty lunchboxes, a small mountain of laundry, scattered receipts, probably a rogue sock… all while trying to cook dinner and pretend your house isn’t slowly morphing into a laundry-themed escape room. Then it’s bedtime routine and—well, you get it. It’s A LOT.

So now? We’ve slowed it right down. We’ve got set days to go out, usually just one outing at a time, and we cherish our quiet home days. No more guilt spirals about not being “out enough”—because peace, sanity, and not having to scrub yogurt out of a car seat are also educational, thank you very much.