It’s the summer holiday season and if you’re a busy working mom you may be feeling excited and enthusiastic about time off with the kids. These feelings may be mixed with feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed at the thought of how to create a happy holiday break for everyone.
Previously your six weeks summer holiday break may have included two weeks away from home. If that’s not possible this year, thoughts of having to juggle work and home life may leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Finding a balance will help you enjoy the next six weeks. You can achieve this by organising some great activities that create some fantastic memories for you all.
Make a Plan
Just like all good events, creating a happy holiday break requires some planning. Having a plan will help you to feel in control and reduce any feelings of guilt around juggling work and home life. A plan will also help everyone to feel that they have a say in how they spend their time. Every minute of every day doesn’t have to be planned and a good plan is one that allows everyone to do just one main thing a day. Start by grabbing your diary and enter all non-negotiable events – dentist, work, hair appointments etc. The gaps will be where you can be flexible and add in some family fun and individuality.
Five Simple Steps
Follow these 5 simple steps and you will create a happy holiday break for everyone.
1. Decision-making – Make a list of all the things that you would all like to do. Include the children’s input in this list. Also, share your non-negotiables with them, they may have some of their own too! Including them, they won’t feel as if they are being fitted into your plans when it’s convenient for you. It will also help them to come up with achievable activities, thereby managing their expectations.
2. Be flexible – Are you able to spread your usual two weeks of annual leave over six weeks by having one or two days off a week? Ask your boss as this may be a good option for them too.
3. Ask for help – Ask if any of the parents of your child’s friends are willing to organise a play-exchange day with you once a week. That way the children get to spend some time with their friends, and you can get some work done uninterrupted. This is usually something we think of doing for little ones but can work well for older children too. If your children are attending summer clubs and need transport to and from them, this can work really well.
4. Take a break – If you’re able to, have a couple of long weekends away or just family time at home. Try to do one thing as a family that you haven’t done before. We tried indoor go-karting this year and had so much fun.
5. Downtime – Have downtime as part of your plan. You may feel that it’s your responsibility to be head of entertainment but remember, time out to just chill, relax and do nothing is also important. You don’t have to fill every minute of every day with activities for the children. By allowing them time to themselves you’re helping them to find ways of entertaining themselves.
Remember, you’ve been through several school holidays before and you’ve all survived! Having a clearly defined plan that doesn’t fill every minute of the day, that you share with all concerned will help you to feel in control and create a happy holiday break for all. Also, find ways of keeping yourself mentally and physically alert and energised.
Finding time for you
The holiday season is not all about keeping the children happy. Plan time for yourself and for all the things that make you feel happy and alive. From watching you the children will learn the importance of physical and mental self-care. They and others around you will see how uplifted, energised and nicer to be around you are after you’ve spent some time doing the things you love to do.
If you struggle to find time for yourself and your needs and find yourself constantly putting the needs of others first, why not book one of my workshops? Workshops are for small groups of like-minded women and are designed to help you focus on your needs and put yourself on your to-do list. In this connective, supportive environment I help you to find space for yourself amongst all the demands on your time. If you’d like to find out more, take a look at my workshops here.
About Sharon
Sharon lives with her partner Geoff in Warwickshire, and they have two adult children. She worked for over 25 years in an office environment, gaining qualifications to degree level in finance, business, and management. While there Sharon witnessed and experienced many stressful situations and suffered illnesses that were stress-related.
Sharon was advised to make some changes to her lifestyle which included trying complementary therapies. After experiencing the benefits of complementary treatments, Sharon decided to retrain and share her knowledge and experiences to help others recognise and manage their own physical and emotional stress and anxiety levels.
She has been working as a complementary therapist for over 15 years now and loves helping people manage and reduce their stress levels to feel uplifted, focused, positive and empowered about their lives.
