Parenting Australia

I don’t know about you, but my kids are busy enough during school term. What I’m looking for these school holidays is not keeping kids busy, but keeping kids free…at home...doing sedate activities…that don’t require that Mum gets dressed before 11am.

In our household, keeping kids busy = keeping mum busy. As long as they’re not yet loping on and off buses to get to their extra curricular activities, it’s the mum-bus doing the shuttle dance. I do enough of that during the school term. Come holiday time, it’s time to park the mum-bus, and get re-acquainted with the couch again.

Here’s a list of things I can do with the children whilst being stationary for a minimum of ten minutes:

- Play trivia games
- Play Trouble, Scrabble, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders. (Charades is out because that would require that I move)
- Watch a DVD
- Play computer games
- Do some colouring-in
- Find-A-Word books are fun
- Judge a trampoline competition
- Practise some hairstyles on my daughter
- Skype our friends overseas
- Find patterns in the clouds
- Do some painting or craft
- Watch their ‘concerts’
- Paint our fingernails
- Do puzzles
- Read

Having said all of the above, we probably won’t be able to resist the newest little baby elephant at Taronga Zoo, or the new bike track at the park. What I’m looking forward to the most these school holidays is spending time connecting with my children who are growing up way too fast.

What will you be doing to connect with your children these school holidays?

4 Comments

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1. Colin Wee makes this comment

   Monday, 22 March 2010

   I like the idea of the sedate school holidays. Typically, I'd be at the top of the list on this. Last school holidays however I thought I'd run it a little different ... and started 'home-schooling' my children Wills8 and Beth5 in English and Maths daily (check out Primary School Mathematics - a post on mathematics which was inspired by our holiday classes.
   
   This lasted about 5 weeks before we traveled overseas - the point at which I stopped extracurricular classes and allowed myself and the children totally enjoy the holidays.
   
   You're right about the busy kids = busy moms/dads. Coordinating lessons and researching the syllabus for the various grades took a lot of time.

2. Colin Wee makes this comment

   Monday, 22 March 2010

   One thing I did enjoy however was to reconnect intellectually with my children. Aside from the various little bits of information and guidance we provide day to day, learning about your child as they deal with lessons over several weeks really opens up your eyes as to their mental development.
   
   I have since stopped pestering them as they've returned to school, but yes ... I am again looking forward to sitting with them for a little while during the next school holidays. Given their progress through English and Maths is going well, I'm going to expand my coverage of other subject s - making it a little more fun and more applicable to their understanding the world around them.
   
   Thanks for the post.
   
   Colin

3. Michelle makes this comment

   Wednesday, 24 March 2010

   We recently had a week's school holiday in Canada and I took advantage of us getting out and about this week so she could interact with other people and children. She had a sleepover at a friend's house one night at the start of the holiday and we took advantage of the free interactive programs held at our local library including a concert. We also visited community centres which held children based activities and crafts as I know with my daughter she always enjoys doing that kind of stuff more when she is out.
   
   Other than that - we did a spot of shopping, borrowed some books from our library, watched the new barbie dvd (a highlight for her)and made some banana bread together.
   
   Trying to mix it up is key to saving our sanity!

4. Mihiri makes this comment

   Wednesday, 24 March 2010

   Thanks guys!
   
   I've added a little tutelage about the world around us to the list, and a trip to the library (which we all love!!). Wish I could Canada to the list...

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