Summer is here and with it the call of the great outdoors. Before long, the memory of those elongated winter days will seem a distant memory. No wonder we look forward to the summer holidays as much as we do! But the big economic downturn is still with us and family budgets are stretched. It is not easy to make ends meet, to pay the mortgage or rent and put food on the table, let alone find money to pay for those special summer trips.
It is traditionally very difficult to strike a balance when planning your budget and meeting family expectations and this is where professional coaching could help to put you on the right track. Everybody’s circumstances are, of course, different, so you should consult with your online coaching advisor to come up with the best plan for your situation. As you do this, we have called on our professional coaching expertise to look through the World Wide Web and find you ten excellent days out for you to think about this summer, each rather different from the other, but all for under a tenner.
We can remember from our childhood how all kids love models, so you should plan a visit to Bekonskot Model Village in rural Buckinghamshire, a place where you can spend time looking at the “eccentric” model village, complete with the splendid model railway. www.bekonscot.com is your place to find out the details.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, check out the location that inspired Hogwarts at Alnwick Castle. Children can interact and delve into the world of medieval knights and dragons. www.alnwickcastle.com/
Add a history lesson to your day out by exploring Hadrian’s Wall, where you will find some of the best preserved forts and artefacts from the Roman era. Numerous locations for a visit can be found for less than a tenner by visiting www.hadrians-wall.org/
You would never have thought that frightening dinosaurs could have roamed the countryside in such a pleasant place as rural Norfolk, would you? These beasts hold a fascination for kids and they are almost certain to love the Dinosaur Adventure Park, as they learn about how these ancient creatures interacted. www.dinosauradventure.co.uk
Harry Potter turned us into an army of believers and we want to know all there is to know about witchcraft and wizardry, so there can be no better a place to visit than picturesque Alderley Edge. The national trust has designated this as a special place and all the family can be entertained here. www.alderleyedge.org.
Not so long ago, the Welsh relied on coal mining as one of their principal economic drivers. Those days are long gone, but at the Big Pit National Mining Museum, children can get excited about descending down an old mine shaft, dressing up as a miner and sampling the way of life. www.museumwales.ac.uk
When it comes to music, we all speak the same language and during the summer, BBC Proms Plus is staging a number of free events for families. Take this opportunity to educate the kids about “real” music! BBC Proms Plus http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/whatson/plus.shtml
Kids love trains and even though today’s modern versions are not as evocative as the steam belching railway locomotives of old, just see how your kids are inspired when they see 100 or more of the old-timers at the National Railway Museum. www.NRM.org.uk
Walk down memory lane and bring the memories flooding back for you as well as giving the kids a glimpse of the past. You can get free admission at the Museum of Childhood. Find this East London location at the www.museumofchildhood.org.uk
Finding something to do in London at no cost is quite a tall order, so why not try going to the Tower of London, where you can even enjoy a treasure hunt on the beach! www.hrp.org.uk.
We hope that some of these trips can be inspirational and if so, think how you could make your life as a working mum even more pleasurable throughout the year, not just during the summer, by looking at online coaching alternatives.
Amanda Alexander, Director of Coaching Mums, helps pressure-cooked, stressed working mums who long for more hours in the day. Through her coaching programmes and online life coaching courses, Amanda shows mums how to create fulfilling and successful lives. For your simple 5 step guide to balance as a working mum, download our free eBook today!