Planning for school holidays- the stress-free way
For kids, the six-week school holidays fly by in no time at all. For parents; they seem to drag on and on.
It can be hard to keep the kids entertained during the summer school holidays. Everything seems so expensive with days out costing a small fortune and if you have to fit work in too, finding childcare can be a nightmare. All in all, the school holidays can be a very stressful time for parents.
So here is a list of tips to help you plan a stress-free school holiday that everyone will enjoy.
Make a budget
Money is often one of the biggest stressors for parents and in the summer holidays money plays a huge role in just about every decision. The kids may be eating you out of house and home or wanting to go on days out and if you must take time off work or hire a babysitter, your costs are mounting day by day.
So, make a budget at the beginning of the holidays to help you manage your finances. Factor in any time off work or childcare costs and set aside extra money for the weekly shop. Once you have the essentials down you can plan how much money you have to spend on trips out or spending money for any holiday you have coming up. Writing it all down will mean you are not worrying and stressing about whether or not you can afford something as you will know exactly where you stand financially.
Plan ahead
Planning days out ahead of time can greatly help to relieve any stress. Last minute decisions or kids claiming boredom can be very stressful for parents but planning days in advance can give you and the kids something to look forward to. Booking tickets to see something on the West End Stage is a great thing to plan in advance and could well save you some money if you book ahead. It will get any moaning kids off your back and booking in advance online often saves you money too. Looking at a long range weather forecast can give you a good idea when it is best to do outside trips like the zoo or beach and also gives you a heads up if you need to look at indoor day trips too.
Work with other parents
Parents up and down the country will be in the same boat as you this summer and it is a good idea to get your heads together with your kids’ friend’s parents to keep each other sane this school holiday. Arrange play dates to keep the kids entertained but also to give each set of parents a helping hand if they need to work or run errands. Work together to reduce each other’s stress levels- as the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and working together will benefit you all.
Make the most of it
At the end of the day, kids aren’t kids for long. Try to shake off any stress and worry and just enjoy having your kids around more than usual. You don’t have to spend money to have fun- grab a picnic and head to the park. The kids will make friends to play with and you can enjoy the (hopefully) good weather as you watch them have fun being a kid before school starts again.
