London – How was it for you? Before and after kids…

We went to London over the half-term. The kids loved it, I loved it, and it was suitably knackering.

However, it did get me thinking about why I used to go into London. The reasons used to be very, very different:

• To meet up with friends
• To do some drinking, and heaven forbid, get slightly tipsy
• To dance the night away in a rather sticky, slightly sleazy nightclub that I can’t even remember the name of
• To eat in rather posh restaurants (ish) and eat mouthwatering food that was beautifully presented and lovingly crafted
• To work, before doing all of the above.

Now, my trips are rather different, they involve the same things, but we are now going about it all in a rather different way:

• Meeting up with friends who also have kids so there is someone else to help keep the kids out of trouble, and chat to about them driving us totally stark raving bonkers
• Drinking, but usually copious amounts of fruit shoot for the kids, and probably too much Diet Coke than is good for me
• Dancing, but only because Stuntboy very rarely stays still for more than two minutes. If I tried to do any dancing, I would definitely end up in A&E
• Eating in anywhere that has a kids menu, which includes something slightly more interesting than burger and chips, if only because we probably ate that yesterday if its the holidays
• No work at all, unless you count me spending an entire day trying to keep the kids entertained. And I can assure you that when we are in London without anyone else but me and them…that’s no mean feat
• Occasionally meeting up with Brad for a meal; so that he gets to see his kids during the week. Most of the time he’s back after they have gone to bed. In half-term we can stretch that bedtime out a bit without carnage at school the following day. Potentially carnage at home, but we’ll deal with that when it hits.

The only thing that could be the same, is the slight smell of sick; and in my pre-kids days that was on the trains on the way home. There is every chance that its on me now, certainly when the kids were a wee bit younger anyway…

I love my kids.

And they do, well and truly, change your life.

How fondly do you remember trips before kids, compared to trips with them now? What has changed for you? Or hasn’t it? Perhaps I should get out more…and go to London once in a while for something other than slightly manic sight-seeing…

Helen

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!

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