Working through the school holidays – a juggling act for many

Heading to work during the school holidays is a regular occurrence for many parents and it’s easy to fall into a trap of feeling guilt and pressure. Here, our Children, Families and Young People Relationships Manager, Katie Hollis, offers tips and tricks to help parents working through the holidays.

It’s Easter Monday and I’m scrolling through my phone trying to create a magical reel of the Easter weekend, with a ‘bloom light’ filter and a ‘Good Days‘ theme tune.

I’m doing this so that I can fool my followers into believing my children weren’t arguing all day, weren’t full of sugar, and wouldn’t see that I had made an emergency trip to the local Co-op at 10pm the night before to buy whatever Easter eggs remained on the shelves.

As a parent of three children all under 12, the pressure of another school holiday looms

Social media is very good at showing us snippets of people’s days and making them look more magical than they really are. We are also flooded with quotes counting down the time we spend with our children, which can leave us feeling guilty.

As a working parent, school holidays are more of a juggling act.

Here are a few tips and tricks for coping and to relieve any ‘parent guilt’ you may have:

• If you can, start work earlier. I am fortunate to work from home and by getting up earlier to start work, I am able to finish sooner when the children are starting to feel bored
• Get moving. During my lunch break, I encourage my children to get up and come outside for half an hour. Moving helps to improve your mood and you feel more motivated when you get home
• Encourage your children to make their own lunch – this can be a fun activity. By allowing them some freedom in the kitchen, they will meet their needs for Achievement and Meaning & Purpose
• It is ok to have a quiet few days. School is full on, children need to meet their need for Privacy, and sometimes being bored even allows time for creativity!
• If your children are old enough, allow them some free time to play with others at the local park, this way children can spend time with friends, and it costs nothing!
• Finally, turn off the screens and give your children good Attention when you have finished work. This could be a bike ride, watching a film or just having a nice meal together

Parenthood and supporting children and young people can be tricky. We have a variety of resources to help yourself and young people, from coping with exam stress to tips to connect with your teenager.