Disabled mum saves over £3,000 in summer holidays by doing one 'selfish' thing

Entrepreneur Amelia Peckham is set to save over £3,000 this summer by taking a step most business owners would not dream of - taking the entire summer holiday off. While this will save the disabled mum-of-two thousands in childcare costs, her main aim is to enjoy some family time and challenge the stigma around rest as a disabled parent.

She stated: "It’s not easy. I’ve had to learn how to pace myself, ask for help, and accept that I can’t do everything all the time. Letting go of being needed 24/7 was tough, but necessary. Rest isn’t just radical - it’s revolutionary.

"Especially when the world expects disabled people to be grateful just for surviving, let alone thriving. I want to spend time with my children while they still want to spend time with me.”

Amelia's "selfish" decision to step back from her role as co-founder and CEO of Cool Crutches and Walking Sticks will give her an extra 255 hours with seven-year-old Rufus and five-year-old Ralph. As studies show that parents and children have spent 75% of their time together by the age of 12.

On average in the UK, parents are facing a £1,076 childcare bill per child for the six-week summer holiday this year. But the Yorkshire mum would be looking at an even larger bill as the county has seen the largest annual increase at 13%.

She reckons she'll be saving a whopping £3,420 on childcare for her two kids with her "selfish" decision and hopes to inspire others to do the same, using August for rest, recovery and quality time. But the entrepreneur is also no stranger to being labelled 'selfish'.

She said: "I've been called selfish for having children and selfish for stepping back to raise them - maybe the problem isn't with me, but with a society that still can't picture disabled women as good mothers. My disability has given me a greater awareness of my health, my time, and what matters.

"Being a disabled parent doesn't make me less capable - if anything, it's made me more present and a logistical master. From day one, I've had to anticipate every challenge and prepare for the worst so we can enjoy the best."

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Amelia hasn't always had this perspective though. For years when her business was in its infancy, she battled through pain, fatigue and the guilt of being a working parent with not enough time. After reassessing her priorities, Amelia restructured her company so it could operate without her for August, which resulted in the biggest month of sales last year.

She further added: "We glorify burnout as ambition. But what's more ambitious than building a business that thrives without you, so you can actually live your life? Taking time off doesn't mean I'm slacking - it means I've built a business that works."

At the age of 19, a quad biking accident on holiday resulted in a spinal injury for Amelia. It took months of gruelling effort to get back on her feet, but once she did, her next hurdle was the noisy, uncomfortable and blister-inducing hospital crutches she depended on for walking.

Determined to resolve this issue herself, Amelia established her business but soon started constantly feeling the need to 'prove' herself as a disabled founder. She also had to face prejudice and accessibility obstacles in the workplace that she hadn't encountered before. She expressed: "Disabled people are seen as a risk.

"So many of us subconsciously overcompensate - working outside our 9-5, juggling appointments, or being 'always on.' But I want to show that rest is productive. That you can step back and still succeed.

"If a non-disabled founder takes a month off to travel, it's celebrated. When a disabled mum does it to be with her kids, it's questioned. That double standard needs to go."