Down Time

Have I said before how much I love the school holidays? It’s my idea of heaven … I love not having to get up early to chase kids out of bed and make sure they get dressed and ready for school. Not having to pack lunches, ensure there is enough fruit for everyone or check that all homework has been completed.

Of course, I would probably find it a nuisance to have to figure out what to do with the little darlings while I’m away for hours every day if I had a job (and hopefully that’s a problem I will be dealing with next holidays) but for now, it’s nice to not have that concern.

The reason I love the holidays is because I love having my children home with me. I get to spend one on one time with each of them, watch movies with them, laugh and relax with them. Of course we do all that as much as possible throughout the school terms too, but then those activities are interspersed with episodes of my nagging. Phrases such as, ‘come on, it’s way past bedtime’, ‘how long has this sandwich been in your school bag?’ and ‘just hurry up and get IN THE CAR!’ are not so much a part of my vocabulary in the holidays.

Not that the routines and expectations are forgotten entirely. It is important for kids to understand that the house still has to be organised. Washing up still needs doing, animals need feeding and rooms DO need to be kept reasonably tidy.

A lot of rules are a little more relaxed though. I don’t chase my teenager out of bed early on the holidays, I let my Cavegirl play with makeup and nail polish a bit more than usual and my littlest Caveman gets to scatter his toys a bit further. They are all allowed to stay up later at night and get more computer time as well. We tend to be pretty strict on all those things during the school terms, so the kids really enjoy the relaxation on the holidays. The rules will tighten up again in the last week or two, in preparation for the new school year, but we will have had a few weeks of just enjoying each other’s company in the meantime.

I know a lot of parents can’t wait for school to go back. Even the Caveman refers to the school term as ‘parent holidays’ (and some days, when the kids are being difficult, I agree with him!). But, for now, I’m happy to enjoy the down time.