When School Holidays and Schedules Clash

How many of us wake up with a business to-do list already running through our minds, calls to make, meetings to attend, clients to follow up with? The coffee’s barely kicked in and we’re already shifting gears, ready to face the day like the capable professionals we are.

And then, just as you’re about to hit send on an email…“Mum, can we go to the park today?”Or, “Dad, I’m bored. Can we do something?”

In that split second, your world tilts.

Because you’re not just a business owner. You’re a parent.

And the tug of that dual identity is real. You glance at your child, full of energy and expectation and the guilt creeps in. Your gut twists as you mentally scan your diary, wondering how you’re going to keep them happy and keep the business ticking over.

You send them off with a snack, a screen, or a grandparent if you’re lucky.

Then comes the second-guessing:

Should I take the day off?

What if I’m missing out on making memories?

Will they remember me working through every holiday?

Is it wrong to leave my teenager in bed sleeping a little longer just so I can squeeze in an extra half hour of work?

But then another voice cuts through. The business voice. The one that reminds you, this meeting has already been rescheduled once. There are deadlines to meet, bills to pay, and people counting on you. And you whisper to yourself: I can’t not attend this meeting.

This, right here, is the life of the business parent. No handbook. No clear-cut answers. Just a daily dance between duty and devotion. Between ambition and affection.

And you know what? You're doing better than you think.

Balancing business and family isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence. It's about showing up for your work and your loved ones, in whatever way you can that day. Some days the business wins. Other days, it’s sports events, training sessions and the beach. Both are valid. Both are necessary.

Top tips from the juggle?

• If you can, set your alarm an hour earlier and get a head start before they’re awake. It’s not always easy (especially after a sleepless night), but even 60 minutes of focused time can clear a surprising chunk of your list and ease that mental load before the day properly begins.

• And remember this: what you see on social media is not always the full story. That picture-perfect picnic or tidy playroom? Likely the highlight reel. You're doing the real work, the messy, beautiful, behind-the-scenes balancing act. And that matters more than any curated feed.

So, to every parent navigating the last stretch of the school holidays, juggling requests, routines, and responsibilities, hang on in there and remember, this phase is messy, meaningful, and entirely human.

You’re not failing. You’re flexing.

And that’s where real resilience lives.

Angharad Harding