Parenting Australia

As every parent of school aged children would know, it’s almost school holidays season. That wonderful part of the year when stay at home parents can sleep in for an extra 10 minutes, avoid the morning and afternoon traffic and enjoy more quality time with our children.

As some of you may know, I have three children aged 4, 6 and 7. All three children attend either school or preschool so I’m usually on my own during school hours, working from home.

The school holidays accordingly present me with the daily challenge of keeping my elder two children happy and occupied with age appropriate activities. It takes us a couple of days before we all settle into a new routine comprising of structured and free play time.

Most mornings my elder two will ask “Mum, what are we doing today?” My children love to visit friends and family so I try to organise at least 3 play dates during the week. We also do in-house movies complete with good old fashioned pop corn, take Milo for a walk, throw a ball around in the backyard and have arts and craft mornings/afternoons.

In between all of that, the kids usually spend plenty of time reading books, playing board games, colouring in, playing dress-ups, dancing, singing, writing letters to their friends and family and hanging out on the backyard swing set. And of course there’s the occasional hour of playing on the Wii or computer.

If I’ve given you the impression that school holidays are a smooth, bump free couple of weeks for me and my lot, I apologise. Because as any stay at home parent knows, no school holiday is complete without tantrums, silly arguments and fights over a particular book, toy or crayon. But of course that’s all part of the package of having children and is evened up by me receiving more hugs, kisses and constant “I love you”s from the children when they’re at home.

Having said that, as much as I love having more quality time with my children, I find that by the end of the school holidays I am a tad exhausted and very much looking forward to dropping the kids off at school and getting some quiet day time.


Do you look forward to having the kids at home during the school holidays and how do you spend your time together? I’d also love to hear your tips for keeping young children happily occupied during the school holiday period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

0 Comments

Name

Email (will not be published)

Personal Web site/Blog URL

Subject

Comment

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Enter the letters you see in the image.

Click to get a new image.