As a child I recall spending four weeks of my summer school holidays on a family vacation at the beach, usually on the Sunshine Coast at Peregian. There seemed to be endless summer days easily filled with swims in the ocean, laying on the beach, fishing, beach cricket, sunset walks and fish and chips at the local shops. When there were rainy days, they were filled in by reading books, countless games of Monopoly, chinese checkers and cards. We had no TV at the house we rented for the holidays and of course no electronic games. I can’t recall holidays ever dragging or being boring.
Thirty plus years later, my three kids and school holidays are different. We don’t go away on holidays for four weeks at a time and if we do, down time is often filled with the electronic gadgetry. There are still plenty of ocean time, although maybe for not as long due to the sun concerns (burning our skin). Sunsets walks still occur but often it is a battle to encourage them to come for a walk and evenings are movies or a favourite TV show, unless the portable computers each child owns is not whirring away their individual entertainment.
There does not seem to be as much family time – interacting quality time I mean.
Single Mum of 3 Boys 