Reality check

My first job in a united kingdom laboratory, was in a large maternity hospital but the laboratory was small and there were only 9 staff members. At that time my older children were still back home, and therefore did not realise how important it was to plan for the holidays well in advance. My colleagues would have booked the annual leave for the half term holidays and would have already booked the holidays too a year in advance.

This got me thinking and I realised that growing up in Zimbabwe my parents always sent us to the village to be with my grand parents, oh how lucky my parents were to have that option to get their parents to take part in our growing up. When my children arrived from Zimbabwe, we found ourselves stuck with ideas of how to keep the children busy. Back home they had always played outside endlessly and also we had a maid/nanny to take care of the little ones while we went to work.

Book annual leave at least the year before to avoid disappointment

Check the school calendar for all upcoming school breaks at least a year in advance. Over the years we have leant to book the annual leave well in advance, to ensure that at least one of us is available. Before the Covid19 era, it was easy as you could visit family around the country, to enhance our children’s bonds with their extended family.

Look up the school calendar for the following years half term on the same period and book the annual leave required.

Furthermore we could also have playdates and sleepovers, now come lock down and tier two, we are back to lock down. I have therefore decided to jot down some tips on how to assist each other on how to tackle half term and minimise the stress.

Book holiday clubs well in advance too as these also can get fully booked quickly. Liaise with the other parents in your care bubble to see if you can share child care during half term to minimise you taking too much annual leave.

Involve the children in the decision making of what fun activities to do

Before planning the activities, always give the children a chance to decide on some of the fun activities that the family can do together as a family. Growing up i was never given the opportunity to decide anything, and thus I was never free to explore what I was really interested in.

When they decide, also get them to organise the equipment required for the activity.

When they decide, also get them to organise the equipment required for the activity and also to lead on the activity. This teaches them organisation skills. For instance, when my little one decides that she wants to bake, we get her to take everything required for baking and place it on the kitchen counter. Once we have finished, i also get her to help with the clearing.

Create a schedule for each day

I found that without a schedule, sometimes we end up running out of ideas and we end up just watching TV. A schedule also gives your children something to look forward to each day. It also helps them to learn telling the time. With my little one, I always say to her, when the big arm on the clock gets to this number, and the little arm gets to this number, it will be say half past one and that will be time for lunch. This gets her checking the clock and trying to work out the time.

Make sure with the schedule, there are also fun activities and this can be used for weighing up options and used as treats for good behaviour.

15 Fun ideas for Half term break

1.Going to the park to play on the swings

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2.Feeding Ducks at the park

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3.Simply taking a walk

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4.Exploring nature in the park

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5.Playing in the Garden

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5.Exploring nature in the Garden

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6.Planting the seeds for the transplanting in the spring

7.Playing at the beach

8.Baking funny shaped Scones and cookies

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9.Preparing dough for Muffins

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10.Children can also help to prepare food

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11.Making and playing with Playdough

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12.Play hide and seek

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13.Involve children in the exercise

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14.Reading books

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15.Arts and crafts

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Do not be afraid of the mess, the challenge is getting the little ones to handle paint without making a mess. Have a protective plastic sheet to cover the surface and also buy washable paints

Hope you are enjoying you time off with your children. Remember even if they are teenagers, still plan activities with them. This also makes them feel valued and you get to know them more when you engage with them.

If you have any other activities that children can take part in during these unprecedented times, please feel free to add to the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you do not miss future posts.