It’s nearly time for the summer holidays; When my children were younger, I used to wonder how we would survive summer without us all losing it, especially me. I want to empower you to have summer holidays, and these are some of my tried and survival tips.
1. Get Organized
I found it best to get the planner out for dates and two significant pieces of paper. You can divide it into two columns, one for free activities and the other column for costs. This is an excellent topic for a family meeting; you don’t always have to be the one that makes suggestions—giving children the space to feel included and have a voice for what they wish also encourages cooperation and teamwork. In addition, it prevents them from asking you ten times a day for something that cannot be arranged and avoid any guilty feelings. Don’t worry if you are on a budget; not all activities need to cost something.
Work out what activities are a priority. It’s good practice for older children to have a budget and routine for working out the cost of activities. Remember to allow them to be creative, and any suggestion goes. If you have initiated family meetings, then this is a great topic,
Examples of questions to ask:
- Are there any places you would like to visit?
- Would you like to learn anything?
- What are your favourite activities you would like to do at home?
- If we had no money left, what would you like to do?
- Who would you like to do those activities with if you had the choice?
2. You can set up more individual Special Time
At your planning meeting, you could offer time with each child and ask them what they would like to do. This tactic may prevent rivalrous feelings when each child knows they will spend quality time with mum/dad.
3. Manage screen time enemy.
Work out how much time they can have each day/week at the meeting and stick to it. Every family is different, so work out your rule, then allow them to decide when they can use it. This gives some control, but you are in charge of the actual amount.
4. Make travelling fun
We travelled on many long-haul flights. Many Airlines have activity bags for children and films they can watch. I used to buy cheap pens and little gifts from pound stores and wrap them up. Your children could open one when they are getting a little fractious, especially near the end of the flight. Tell them where they are going and what they are travelling on. Read the books about planes or cars. Have ideas on how to stop car bickering, such as setting up rewards for those who are co-operating and not moaning.
5. Enjoy rainy days with indoor fun games
So let’s do games such as 
Balloon tennis (blow up some balloons and use your hands for tennis)
Bubbles are not lots of bubbles but pieces of paper, straws, and jars. Enjoy blowing on the form; you can colour it with paint.
In the feather game, have a start and finish and see who can finish first by blowing the feathers with a straw.
In tIn, the telephone game, give your child a sentence and a character to play with and then pretend to ring someone in that character. They can dress up too.
6. Give yourself me time every day
This is probably the most important. Everyone will have a request at your family meeting, so this is yours. Allow yourself at least 10 minutes a day when you can read a paper, meditate, or do some mindfulness, such as my safe place visualization. This encourages your children to regulate and learn how to manage themselves.
Have fun over the summer. With Love Catherine
