Patching when out of the daily routine is so much harder than when KW2 is at pre-school and other activities. Then the patch goes on straight after breakfast but in the holidays it just doesn’t happen as easily; well for us anyway… The heat doesn’t help as he gets so sweaty under his patch it is uncomfortable and when playing outside wearing the patch is less effective anyway. I can see lots of two hour iPad stints this holiday, just to get him to wear the patch.

We recently got back from a Eurocamp holiday and to KW2s excitement on day one we saw a boy(about 8years old) cycle past our tent wearing a patch. That was the best encouragement we could have had on holiday, as he ran in to choose one of his to wear in case ‘patch boy’ came last again. The boy was doing a loop with his chums so came past several times within the first ten mins, He clocked the patch on KW2 and beamed, staring at him. On his second loop he asked him if he had to wear one too, KW2 was made up that this older boy was talking to him. Every morning he then happily wore his patch for his stint, keeping an eye out for his friend patch boy. KW2 lovingly referred to this boy as ‘patch boy’ all holiday… When we met him in the bar, KW2 shouted “look there is my friend patch boy”, I did suggest he found out his real name then, which he did.

Only a three year old patch wearer could get away with calling another child ‘patch boy’!