Have a happy summer holiday

It’s the time the kids have been waiting for – long, warm days and six weeks of freedom from school. You remember from your own childhood, how the lazy days of summer seemed to last forever.  So why is summer time such a stress-filled experience for many parents?

Why do summer holidays, started with high expectations, degenerate into too much television, too many video games and too many fights?  The answer is - we seem to have forgotten how to play.  Adults find it hard to slow down because of demanding jobs, hectic schedules, coping with child-care arrangements, social arrangements and extra-curricular activities. It is equally difficult for children to make a smooth transition from the tiring schedule of term-time to the creative unscheduled time of summer. Often this manifests itself in the way that kids don’t want to anything scheduled, and would opt, given half a chance, for spending the day in pyjamas, playing electronic games and watching TV. 

So the first step to a more satisfying summer is to slow down and allow yourself times to be completely unscheduled and even idle. Try a day with no fixed plans. Spontaneous play has nothing to do with calendars and appointments.  It’s a good idea to sit down and talk about the summer with your children. Find out what they want and tell them what you want. Then plan some ground rules together. Have Special days where the computer never gets turned on – not even for YOU to check your emails! TV-free days are also a must. You can’t compete with these baby-sitters – so make sure that you have days away from them.

Arrange evenings of family time, playing games with the children or reading to them. Have days where you ban the car! You’ll be surprised at how long and luxurious these days feel.  Take the children for a walk. Slow down and rediscover how relaxing it is to enjoy the rhythm and stimulation of a simple walk. Plan a baking session together. Play silly games outside. Generate interesting conversations at the dinner table by introducing interesting questions, such as “what would you do if you could be invisible for a day?” Set up a permanent art table in the house, with a variety of art supplies and imaginative bits and bobs. 

When you’re older looking back on your life, you won’t regret not spending more time glued to your desk or hovering on the internet. But you’ll never regret having spent time with your family.


warm regards
Sharri