The thought of school summer holidays can bring mixed feelings for parents. While we all want to spend more quality time with our kids, the thought of having to keep them entertained for six weeks can be daunting.
If you’re nervous about the school holidays, we’re here to help. At our independent school in Devon, we pride ourselves on developing kids’ interests inside and outside the classroom, making it easier to keep them occupied during school breaks.
However, there are many other tips, big and small, which can help make the summer holidays more manageable for any parent or guardian.
Plan Ahead
One of the best things you can do to alleviate any pre-holiday nerves is to plan what you will do in advance. Don’t worry, you don’t need to follow a rigid timetable throughout the summer; just understanding roughly what you hope to do each week will take some of the pressure off.
There are lots of fun activities you could do over the summer. If you don’t know where to start, it can be useful to ask your child what they would like to do or achieve. Perhaps there’s a particular part of school they enjoy that you can turn into a hobby over the summer.
Try to work out a list of things you and your little ones would like to do over the summer break and try to put them roughly into certain days and weeks. Also, add any planned events (such as holidays) and work days, and you’ll soon get a picture of what summer is going to look like.
The best-laid plans often go awry, but at least having everything written down can take some of the anxiety away before the holidays begin.
Don’t Fill Your Calendar
When putting together a summer holiday plan, it can be tempting to think that you need activities prepared for every day. Thankfully, there are multiple reasons why it’s much better if the calendar isn’t completely filled.
For one, plans will need to change. Either because of our Great British weather or unexpected appointments, or a combination of the two, some days will simply not go as expected. If there’s stuff you want to get done, leave additional space to ride out any unforeseen events.
Secondly, trying to cram as much fun as possible into the holidays will create more stress for you as a parent/guardian. Remember, children look up to you and the experience you’re having reflects on their own experiences.
Finally, it helps not to underestimate the importance of downtime, both for you and your little ones. While children might complain about being bored at home, these moments can be important in building self-resilience, as they have to find ways of entertaining themselves.
Stay Positive
This might seem obvious, but in the stress of a summer holiday, it can easily be missed. As discussed, your actions and emotions will inform your children, so the best way to keep them in a positive mood is to be positive yourself.
When you’re spending more time with your kids, it can be natural to slip into negative habits. Whether it’s telling them off for not tidying up, making them brush their teeth or other mundane daily things, these minor negative experiences can add up for all of you.
Experts recommend praising your kids more than criticising them as positive reinforcement inspires them to develop positive habits, so try to maintain positive energy as much as you can.
Join In
If you’re worried about keeping a positive mindset throughout the holidays, one of the simplest things you can do is get involved with the fun.
Often, small children don’t mind whether they are at a luxury seaside resort or their local park. The most important thing is that they get to spend time with their loved ones.
If you don’t get to play with your children often, you might be surprised at how big a game-changer it is if you get involved in their fun activities.
Joining in with the fun and games will not only increase the enjoyment your children are having but will also allow you to enjoy the positive health benefits that come from exercise, games and more.
Make Time for Yourself
Remember, it’s supposed to be your summer holiday, too!
As mentioned, the experience you’re having over the break will influence the kind of experience your children have. So, carving out some additional time for yourself to rest and recover will lead to a happier holiday experience for both you and your little ones.
When putting together a summer holiday schedule, make plans for yourself. If you have friends with kids, organise early on what days you could meet up, either for a play date or another arrangement, just so you have space to socialise. If you have family that you can rely on, ask if there are days when they could care for the children to give you some space.
There are also ways to create some me-time while at home with your kids. Young children often enjoy taking on chores around the house if it means spending more time with their parents, so why not get them involved with the daily routine over the holidays? For older kids, chores can be a good way to earn some spending money.
Remember, your children are capable of keeping themselves entertained for a little while, so make sure you take some time out to do the things you enjoy.
Limit Screen Time
Limiting the time a child spends online is something you probably do already, but enforcing rules over the holidays is even more important. Spending time on games or social media can be a big time drain with little benefit.
Use your judgment to allocate a certain amount of screen time to your child and try to introduce online activities that are more productive or have more benefits.
Be strategic about what your child is doing online; maybe you could encourage them to do more artistic and imaginative things online or learn a new skill with them through the help of the internet.
Doing things like family film nights can also be a strategic way to give kids their screen time in a more socially beneficial way.
Allow Learning to Happen Naturally
While the summer holidays can be a break from school, it is still an important part of a young mind’s development. Thankfully, the holiday routine provides plenty of opportunities for learning to happen naturally.
Certain activities, such as visiting the library, are great for keeping developing minds active. However, little things like asking your kids to do maths while out shopping and reading to them before bedtime can also make a great difference over six weeks.
We very much hope our tips here will help you have a great summer. If you’re interested in exploring a prep school for your child, feel free to contact our team at St Peter’s Prep.
