School holidays are usually a welcome break from the busy term time routines-- uniforms, lunches and after school activities-- but we all know there is never a break from parenting. 

Hopefully, the tips below will help you to make the school holidays a little more fun, create time to connect with your kids and make memories.

Plan
Get the kids involved in making a list of things they would like to do. Look for local events on around town. Plan for good and bad weather, rainy days are good days to have a Pyjama day.  Remember not everything will go to plan--as they never do when kids are involved-- but that’s ok!

Do something out of the ordinary
The best memories can sometimes come from the small, free activities you schedule into the school holidays.  A picnic, camping, bike rides, trips to the beach or local library are all great activities that won’t break the bank.

Gather your Village
Don’t be afraid to ask for help to share the load.  Asking a friend to care for your kids during the holidays can be a great way for the kids to spend time with their friends while it frees you up to work or run errands.  Repaying the favour on another day helps them out too!

Boredom is good
We all know that tearing kids away from their screens is the hardest challenge of the holidays.  Unstructured time away from electronic devices is good for young minds.  Consider trying a screen time contract (image to your left) to encourage your kids to be creative and help around the house before they sit in front of the screen. There are plenty of other examples online.

Adjust Expectations
We may like to all keep the house clean and tidy, but the reality is that with the kids home it will get messy!  Let them have fun and play, but at the end of the day take some time to get them to pick up their toys and tidy up.  A few minutes each day will save your sanity.

School holidays can provide the opportunities to slow down, relax and recover from a busy school term.  Don’t forget to make time for yourself as well, even half an hour with a cuppa and a good book can be re-energising.