Sleeping in on weekends ended the day my son was born. At eight years old, now, he drags himself out of bed from Monday to Friday, sometimes trying to get an extra ten minutes by crawling beneath the blankets in my bed when he comes to say good morning. On Saturdays and Sundays however, he’s been known to get up at 05:30/06:00 to start his day, and often wants company. When I asked him why he wakes so early on weekends, his response was simple and, uncomfortably logical: “weekends are my days and so I want more time to do the things I like, which is why I wake up earlier.” As they say, kids say the ‘damnedest’ things.
Having previously worked in a high pressure, stressful, demanding job and leaving that for, amongst other things, more time to spend with my family – at some stage, it felt like I was living parallel to them – I haven’t been able to argue against the Prince’s logic. The idea of ‘presence over presents’ as a father is very important to me and I have become better at structuring my day to ensure that I ‘make every minute count’, whether it is work, family or me time.
It is this philosophy that forms the basis of a new Bidvest Car Rental video campaign, launching with the tagline “Because Every Minute Counts.”
Using children in any type of campaign has the potential to do well or fall short but, with this video, Bidvest Car Rental seem to have found the right balance. The little boy’s monologue sounds very much like the ones I hear in my home, and the word ‘weekinning’ is something the Prince would definitely use.
This country has so much to offer in terms of holidays and experiences. In terms of teaching my children about the world around them and helping them situate themselves in it, we have undertaken to take road trips a lot more. Driving through new spaces opens them up to so much and I am one of those who tries to find lessons in each experience.
And, being in a relationship, I find it also important to do things together as a couple, like our annual trek to Franschhoek for the Champagne and Bubbly Festival. We usually fly into Cape Town, pick up a rental and take a leisurely drive to Franschhoek, enjoying the beauty of the wine farm region of the Western Cape.
It’s about how to ‘Make Every Weekend a Holiday.’
As part of the new campaign, there is an opportunity to win a weekend car rental from Bidvest Car Rental. Share your favourite South African holiday/work destination on social media using the tag #EveryMinuteCounts to be in the running.