school holiday tips

School holiday tips

Are you a mum who is not looking forward to the long school summer holidays? The stress of having the kids around and entertain them, the lack of control and structure and missing out on your own things? It becomes much easier if you apply these steps.

1. List for yourself what you would like to continue doing yourself over the holidays: gym class, meeting friends, meditation or reading. Plan these activities in. Maybe you have to get up earlier for it or adapt the duration or the length, but make sure you keep on doing them.

2. Sit down with your kids, show them your list and discuss what is on their list. Plan everybody’s wishes into the ‘holiday-routine-planner’ and put it on the wall.

3.  If healthy and slim eating is important for you, why not plan meals: this can be flexible in the way that you can plan to go to McDonalds one day, but setting out your meal planning for a week will ensure healthy and regular meals, which keep everybody on track of their health.

4. Prepare a range of activities for the kids, as we all know ‘if they are happy, we are happy’. It gives them focus and it gives you a space to maybe relax. Maybe give each a choice of a once a week special wish they have.

5. Talk through with your kids what they want to ‘achieve’ in the holidays: do they want to be better at cricket (cricket camp), maybe reading ahead for school (library or bookshop), learning something new like cooking……. And then make the arrangements.

6. Offer kids some discipline; it is not always and only fun during the holidays. Practicing their musical instrument, read regularly, helping in the kitchen or with the shopping don’t do them any harm and gives them a more balanced experience.

7. Look at options that are fun for you and them; exchange with friends; have all the kids for one day, then let somebody else take over on another day, so you have the day to yourself and use that time to do something for yourself.

8. Your day starts the evening before: if you can decide how you want the day to unfold you have to take charge. Consider the weather and the circumstances and set yourself up for a day that makes you in charge, have the discipline to follow-up on the routines and it will be great.

9. All in all: don’t set your expectations too high, don’t expect everything to be perfect and remain flexible, even if it means breaking the routine and losing discipline. As long as you pick it up the
next day and don’t allow it to totally slip….

10. Enjoy a time of family fun, while you keep on track with what is important for you as. Happy Holidays!

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