We Took My Sister-in-Law and Her Toddler on Our Seaside Camping Holiday—And I Regretted It a Thousand Times Over

Author Walton MerrittReading 3 min

I decided to take my sister-in-law and her little boy on holiday with us, and Ive regretted it more times than I can count.

My husband and I are on our annual seaside holiday. For the past few years, weve been driving down to the coast with our friends, brimming with excitement, and pitching our tents along the British coastline. Were old hands at this. We pick a stretch of beach, set up camp, then spend our days swimming in the sea and soaking up the sun. When evening falls, we gather around a crackling campfire, strumming the guitar and sipping dry white wine, singing songs under the stars.

This year, my sister-in-law, Harriet, decided to join us, bringing her two-and-a-half-year-old son along. We had a long debate should we invite them or not?

Unfortunately, we let ourselves be persuaded. Looking back, the little boy was never the problem. It was Harriet who proved difficult from the very start. The troubles began on the journey to Devon. Harriet wanted to stop every hour. She was tired and needed to stretch her legs, so we arrived embarrassingly late, long after our friends had settled in and even managed a swim. Once we finally pulled in, the real fun began. Harriet was already furious:

I cant possibly stay here! she announced.

Why not? We said wed be camping in tents! I reminded her.

I thought that meant wed find last-minute rooms or at least book a B&B, she replied.

Why did you think we brought all the tents and sleeping bags, then? my husband muttered under his breath.

Well, I just thought thats how you liked to camp, Harriet grumbled.

In the end, we had to rent her a room at a nearby guesthouse. This meant my husband was constantly shuttling her back and forthcollecting her in the morning, returning her at night, taking her to cafés, exploring markets, and minding her son whenever she fancied a bit of a break.

All of us ended up looking after the little one. Yet, he was perfectly lovelywell-behaved, energetic, enjoyed paddling in the sea, ate whatever was given to him, and napped soundly in the tent during the afternoons. A stark contrast to his mother. One things for certain: next year, Harriet wont be getting an invite. But if his parents are willing, her son is welcome with us anytime. Hes a true camper at heart.

When Beatrice Discovered She Was Expecting, Her Family Was Shocked—They Disapproved of Her Relationship with a Man They Believed Wouldn’t Stay, Fearing She’d Raise a Child Alone and Face Social Prejudice Beatrice is an ordinary young woman from Birmingham, brought up in a loving family by her mother and stepfather, who was like a real dad to her. With her parents’ unwavering support, she always knew she was loved and could rely on them. Beatrice graduated from high school, but her place at university was uncertain due to her poor command of English. She decided that private tuition would help her pick up the language faster, so she started looking for a tutor. She chose Ronnie, originally from Ghana, who had come to the UK for his own studies. Fluent in English, Ronnie had been tutoring privately for years. At first, the lessons were tough for Beatrice, but over time she warmed to Ronnie, and soon their relationship became something much more. They couldn’t stand being apart. When Beatrice found out she was pregnant, her whole family was in shock. The idea of her being in a relationship with someone they thought wouldn’t stick around filled them with concern. They imagined her raising the baby alone and having to cope with their child standing out from others because of her appearance. After Ronnie received his degree, he did return to Ghana, but he stayed in close contact with Beatrice. They both eagerly awaited the birth of their baby, calling and chatting on Zoom regularly. Beatrice’s baby arrived safely, but ongoing animosity from her family pushed her to make the tough decision to move to Ghana. Life in Africa wasn’t easy for Beatrice and her husband: the climate proved too challenging and they had to return to the UK. In time, they welcomed their second daughter. However, the family continued to refuse contact, and Beatrice refused to leave her beloved husband just to please them. Now, the couple are planning a move to Canada, hopeful that there, they’ll find a more tolerant community.

My Son Spent Years Searching for the Right Woman to Marry, and I Never Questioned His Choices—When He Turned 30, He Finally Met Emma, Who Seemed Perfect for Him Almost every day, I’d hear about how kind and beautiful she was—it was clear my son had truly fallen in love. I liked Emma as well, and he would speak passionately about her to me and his friends, convinced she was the ideal woman for him, so it was no surprise when he didn’t hesitate to tie the knot. As a loving mother, I fully supported his decision. Planning the wedding was no easy feat, but my friends were a tremendous help. The bride’s parents were wonderful and we got on splendidly from the start. At first, everything was blissful, but things shifted over time. Their marriage started to unravel, arguments became more frequent, and I reminded myself it was just their first year—surely things would settle down. Still, I worried because I wanted their marriage to be strong and happy. One evening truly shook me—late at night, my son showed up at my door with his belongings, telling me he had nowhere to go because his wife had thrown him out. He stayed with me for a few days, and Emma never once came round to try to reconcile. This became a recurring pattern. When my daughter-in-law told me she was pregnant, I decided to sit down with them to offer some advice that might help avoid further misunderstandings. Unfortunately, it made things worse—tensions only increased, and my son spent the night at my house even more often. I could see he was struggling; gone was the happy young man I knew, replaced by someone clearly disappointed with life. I couldn’t bear to see my son so miserable in a toxic relationship, so I suggested he think carefully about whether it was worth staying married. I told him he could be a wonderful father even if he lived separately. He soon filed for divorce. Not long afterwards, Emma came to me, asking for my help to persuade my son to call off the divorce, insisting she didn’t want to break up their family. I’d often advised her to look after her marriage, but now she was blaming me for interfering when my son filed for divorce. Now I wonder if I should have encouraged my son to end his marriage. His wife resents me, and my son himself seems to be drifting further away from me. Perhaps they still love each other? Living apart feels wrong, but living together wasn’t working either.