Just 4 days before we open for a new season! Attraction leaflets are being delivered, the plumber is here ready to put water back onto the site, and the new welcome books are just about ready to go into the caravans so it is all systems go!
Even the kids are looking forward to opening the gates again – opening up always affects them more than we thought it would. We often have tears because they feel like we are abandoning them after having us all to themselves during the winter. I think they are old enough now to see the benefits of living on the park – they can whizz round on their bikes, meet new friends and they know exactly which guests to visit when they are on the lookout for biscuits (in several caravans they know exactly where they are kept!)
They also know the little traditions we have for them based around the park, particularly opening and closing. Immediately after those gates shut on the first Sunday in November we go to the cinema and have Frankie and Benny’s afterwards and we do exactly the same just before we open.
Although my Dad ran a park it didn’t affect us in the same way – for a start we didn’t live there. It was somewhere to go to see Nanna and Grandpa as they lived in a house on the park but we didn’t have anyone knocking on our door at all times of the night needing our Mummy and Daddy.
I am also very aware that I want our kids to remember us as doing things with them during their childhood rather than working all the time. So, some people do get upset that we have a couple of hours off on a Sunday afternoon when they are wanting to buy ice cream from the shop but I hope that they appreciate there are times we need to be selfish and put our kids first – ice creams have to wait until we re-open the shop in the evening.
Just reading your post made me all excited too! We still haven't decided what we are going to do with our tent this year so there is a chance we may come a visiting!
ReplyDeleteHave a great first week.