Under and Over the Influence
Our families are wonderful, but sometimes we still need to take a break…
My hubbie and I have just enjoyed the luxury of a long, child free weekend in Barcelona. It was utter bliss! We near enough walked from one end of the city to the other, dipping in and out of little bars and galleries and the sites that came up along the way.
The Spanish perception of the English was quite an eye opener though. They do seem to have us all down for binge drinkers, thanks to some of our holiday maker behaviour over there. We heard a lot of “You’re English– You like to drink!” and a conversation with two local girls was almost spoilt when the topic of alcohol crept into the mix.
To confirm our suspicions Dan and I found a flyer warning of problems of the ‘Tourism Tsunami’ and suggesting ways to try and curb the effects of our partying in the city. And I’m horrified that our hen and stag parties and general holiday making are causing such a problem – it’s a far cry from the cultured perception that I have of us.
As a nation, we are aware of our binge drinking culture, and the government has put token measures in place to curb it. I’m not sure why so many of us think that we can’t have a good time without getting out of control. Is it just because it’s what we do, or is there a deeper reason?
I’ve been guilty of it myself, and for me I think it was the search for the thrill – regular life seemed straight and boring, at the time. Thankfully though I’ve grown up a bit now and met my Aussie husband who has a far maturer attitude to alcohol, so we’ve balanced each other out nicely.
As parents, we are on the front line for tackling this binge drinking mind set. No one has more influence over their own children. I believe if we can go half way to understanding the why behind this attitude, then we can teach our children a healthier approach to alcohol and offer more constructive alternatives to thrill seekers.
I hate to think that the first impression other nationalities have of me or my children is already signed and sealed, so I will be doing my best to teach my own children anyway.
Eleanor x
PS. By day I am a maternity, newborn, baby and family photographer, I have a stunning photography studio in Lancaster, Lancashire and I am oozing with passion and conviction for what I do. Easter is on it’s way and we have all kinds of exciting portrait specials coming up, please hop over and take a look!
