Summer Holidays... Pain or Pleasure......

Are we enjoying the summer holidays? The rain certainly is not helping us get out and about. I remember when my children were little I had to get the balance between being out of the house all of the time entertaining the children with their friends or being at home trying to keep them busy there. A sunny day definitely helps with being able to be in the park.
From my years of working with families, I know the summer holidays can be daunting. 6 weeks loom long, there is no routine, no structure and n certainly no routine of meals. Why is it that children need to eat 6 extra meals in the school holidays. I used to love a free activity with my children to the park or similar. I see these days that even parks sometimes have something extra for parents to pay money on such as a bouncy castle or similar. As  my children got older, I used to have to juggle, holiday clubs with working hours, and now as they are older still, not wanting them in the house all day on their screens so that I can finish a pile of emails or reports that need writing as well as the meeting that still need to take place.
What have I learnt in all of my experience of school summer holidays which counting them up now amounts to 22! I have put some down here for your benefit. 

• The free activities are just as good as those you have to pay for. Make the most of these and attend as many as you can. These very well meaning organisations who put them on, want you to attend. They give the children new experiences and a chance to spend time with others of their own age. Even better if you can drop them off and have some time for yourself. 
• Get out and about as often as you can. Children need to burn off their energy. An evening walk to the park is fun as it is out of routine and often the park is quieter at this time (and the ice cream kiosk is shut too)! Don't forget some parent's feel nervous being out, so maybe message someone you don't normally spend time with and see if they want to join you. They may be feeling lonely too. 
• Remember its only 6 weeks and even though this feels like a long time, before you know it, it will be back to school and the routine this brings back. If you are struggling, reach out to someone, a friend or an organisation you know. They also know how hard the holidays can be and can be a listening ear and offer support.
• Its very hard if you cannot afford a holiday or expensive days out such as what all of social media seems to be full of. Remember, life has seasons, sometimes we can afford to these things and sometimes we can't. This year I am not taking my children away and that's hard to  deal with. This year has meant I don't have the money to do that but it's ok, we will still have fun. We have fitted in a swimming session and a meal out. But we also enjoy playing board games at home and watching a film together. All of these give memories in the same way and children enjoy time together, not money being spent on them. 

Summer holidays, I know are hard, remember it's only 6 weeks. Reach out for support. You can do it. Asking for help is often the hardest part. If we are kind to others, asking them to come and visit the park with us, then maybe they return the invitation and a new friendship could be made. 

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