How to stay sane in the school holidays
Category: Parenting, Working Parents
Author: Miranda Riddell
July 19, 2024
How can it be that the long-awaited holidays can cause us parents such a headache?! For many parents, the long summer break is just a juggling act where you have to wear too many hats and each day is like an obstacle course! I’m going to share with you some of my top tips for making it through unscathed.
I am a burnout and stress reduction coach and I find that my coaching clients – mainly women with stressful careers who also run a side line in being a mum – experience real spikes in stress around the summer holiday period. Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter what you do in addition to the mum job, it can be very hard to manage it all and keep the smile on your face at the best of times.
“It can be very hard to manage it all and keep the smile on your face at the best of times.”
5 tips for making it through the school holidays unscathed
Here are my top tips for keeping sane while your little darlings are on their summer break and you need to be managing your other gig(s) – whatever they may be.
1. Time well spent
It might feel counterintuitive to use some of your precious time to organise your agenda, but it is a game changer. Start with a blank sheet of paper divided into the days of the week and hour slots (or use your phone or paper agenda). Put in all of the appointments, work hours and time spent travelling. How many hours do you have left? It’s often a surprise that we still have some hours in the day. Not only can this make us feel less squeezed for time – these extra hours can be used for getting through the to-do list, spending quality time with kids and spouses or doing something by yourself or with friends.
2. Use your network
Don’t be shy or too polite to ask for help from others. Most of your friends will be in the same boat – trying to get kids dropped off for activities, needing an afternoon to themselves. Ask for help... and be prepared to take your turn to reciprocate when you can.
3. Use local resources
The local library and youth centers often plan fun activities where you can drop the kids off or send babysitters to get the kids out of the house while you are on calls. FLOK is full of great ideas for camps and activities and you can search by activity type or age group.
4. Go easy on yourself
You don’t have to be the perfect parent, or the perfect employee or boss. Find the “good enough” and you may be surprised to find that that suffices. It can be amazing how we can persuade ourselves that we must give 110% all the time to everything in order to be appreciated, when in fact that isn’t required. This is the time to adopt the good enough mantra – and you’ll also be surprised how much time that will free up for you.
"It's time to adopt the good enough mantra"
5. Find some time for you
It’s really important to take some time out to help bring down your cortisol (the stress hormone) – yoga, breathing, massage or time spent outside on a daily basis really helps us reset and get back to who we want to be.
Lastly, but definitely not least – have fun! Enjoy the time you do have with your family; this will give you endorphins and that is crucial to our wellbeing.
About Miranda
Miranda is a burnout and stress reduction coach practicing in the Geneva area from her home base in Messery, France.
You can find her on Instagram: @miranda_serendipity_coaching or by email miranda@serendipitycoaching.net. Originally from New Zealand, Miranda is a mum of two and has experienced expat life in the UK, Switzerland and France.
For more parenting tips, check out our article Balancing Careers and Parenting.
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