Some solutions to the challenge of summer parenting

Contributed by Simon Evans

As the school year draws to a close teachers are all probably breathing a sigh of relief whereas many parents are somewhat daunted by the prospect of offspring at home and having to juggle work commitments. It can be a stressful time.
Here are a few suggestions that help me so they maybe helpful to you.

‘Play-days’ – Come to an arrangement with friends to share the load of child monitoring by offering to have their kid over for the day and another time they can have your… you never know they may just spend the day playing together and leave you alone to get some work done.

Summer holiday programmes – There may be a holiday programme running in your area. They don’t normally cover the full six weeks but you may fill a week or two, your kid may even pick up a new friend or two.

Kiwi Families activities – offer a raft of craft ideas fro all ages. It seems you’ll need to supervise but at least it beats crawling around on the floor with the army figures for the 900th time.

Routines – if you’re away in Fiji fro 6 weeks of the summer all well and good for you but for the rest of us its probably a week here or there. The rest of the time needs managing and routines are the answer. Help establish an ebb and flow to the days by scheduling busier and quieter activites. Alone activities and times when friends can come to play.

‘Homework’ – To avoid your kid’s brain going to mush over the holidays it may be a good idea to establish a work pattern. Some reading, writing, a little maths. I’ve just identified my kid is somewhat shaky with telling the time- that’s gonna be our little focus over the hols.

Reading programme – Libraries around the country have been given funding to support child literacy by providing so incetives over the holidays – this year has a ‘legend’ theme about, certainly where we live.

Whatever you do make some time is quality time.

Good Luck!
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Holiday activity plans for the kids

School holidays are just around the corner for us and I've been freaking out as I've got to study (Uni exams in a few weeks and I'm way behind as usual). Generally I have no plan and we have a few playdates but generally it's bedlam & chaos & I get to the end & think "how could I have done that better?" and then forget about it for another couple of months.

This holidays for some reason I've decided to plan ahead. I am a mean mummy in that every morning of the school hols I expect my kids to write a story, with a picture. Mostly this is because I love reading the kids stories, but also because I love to see their progress from term to term and additionally I want to keep them busy.

I've decided that after they've written their daily story, they can choose from one activity from my newly formed "lucky dip bag" of things that we'll do together, so they have something to look forward to & I have something that I need to do with them before I hide back in my corner with my books & tell them to "go play" & "be good" & "stop fighting."

I've attached my ideas to the right there. I've printed each column in a different colour, so on a rainy day someone can choose a red piece of paper & when Dad's home they can choose a blue piece or on special days I can raid the bag first & pull out all the orange pieces except 1 before the kids get to it.

Anyway, the plan is in place. Will it still turn to bedlam & chaos? More than likely, but hopefully it will be better than other times. When it all turns to rubbish and you want a giggle, then check out the crappy pictures blog

Contributed by RosieO

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