Julie Jay: We may spend the rest of our lives trying to recreate a special weekend

As much as it kills the Irish cynic in me to admit it, the weekend we spent in Longford was fairly close to perfect, and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.

The night after our holiday, I asked Ted what his favourite part of his holiday was, presuming he would say the magical forest, the pool, or the boat trip. “My cousins,” he said. 

Last week, I went to Center Parcs — fuelled by cynicism and fully certain I would end up vowing never to staycation again. Having attempted extended family holidays before, I would be lying if I didn’t say I had a touch of trepidation about the trip because the reality is holidays can be hard. Ironically, the pressure for things to be perfect is what makes them anything but. In chasing perfection, we often forget that kids are generally happy with chicken goujons and a relaxed bedtime.