When I first became a parent 9 years ago, someone told me that holidays would be dramatically different. “It’s not a holiday, it’s a change of scenery” they said. I was shocked to discover the truth in that statement. Taking my boys away was not the restful escape I had imagined, it was bloody hard work! Over the years, this phrase has become a mantra to help manage my expectations. However, since my daughter, who has FASD, joined our family 4 years ago, "holidays" have evolved into something akin to a hardcore reality TV challenge where someone could starve or die by the end. Holidays are now more like survival of the fittest.