School Holiday Planning

Some parents moan about the hassle of school days and look forward to the school holidays, when they can have a break. I am the opposite. School days = no problems. Everyone knows what they need to do, where, and by when. I'm not saying it always gets done without a bit of yelling, but everyone knows and knowledge, as they say, is power.

Come the summer holidays and 2 kids quickly find themselves bored without some sort of routine. The eldest at (nearly) 9 is not so much of a problem. He can disappear to a friend's house, or have them around here, and they can amuse themselves for days on end. The youngest, at barely 4, is another matter. He likes a bit of routine. Not so much to have every minute of every day filled with activity, but because he likes structure and to know what's going on. If we're having a do nothing day that's fine, as long as he knows in advance that's what's going on. Both my husband and I work from home so it's important for us to keep a bit of structure to our days as well, otherwise we end up entertaining them all day and working late into the night to get everything done. It doesn't make for a very fun 6 weeks for us and as we're decidedly ratty by mid August, for the kids either.

We've arranged some child care for the youngest but I've created a holiday planner so I know who is doing what, when and where. To be honest, it was partially to satisfy my lust for a good list. If there's anything that makes me feel more capable than a list, it's a list with multiple columns and colours. I've also written a separate list with ideas of things we can do and ordered them by price. I normally use an Organised Mum wall calendar, but I've created a separate spreadsheet just for this.

It's like my own special project. I think I need a hobby. A (large) part of my brain is telling me I'm overthinking this whole holiday thing. Behind it, ready to jump out in 3 weeks, is a smaller by very smug part ready to jump forward to receive accolades that I'm not left in charge of 2 recharged, bored, batteries looking for a bit of structure.