There are just weeks left until the end of the school year when school and nursery break up for six long weeks. While the teachers of the land are no doubt rejoicing I’m willing to bet the working parents of the land – like me – aren’t.
Schools and nurseries and after school clubs might shut down for the summer but it’s business as usual for the rest of us, except you’ve got little people who need looking after and entertaining too.
This will be the first time I have a summer school holiday to get through and I have to say I’m dreading it – the two weeks over Easter were bad enough due to all the things they fail to tell you about school holidays. I’ve written before about how to stay sane when working from home with kids, so for anyone wondering how on earth they’re going to cope over the summer I thought I’d share some confessions tips on how I get through the working day in the school holidays:
Confessions of a stay-and-work-at-home-mum
1. The TV is your friend. Forget whatever you were told when you were a child, they’re not going to get square eyes, and frankly there are worse things they could be doing than staring at an oblong screen. My two even know which button to press when the notification that the TV will automatically switch off in three minutes because it’s been on so long pops up.
2. Feed them raisins, smarties, jelly tots or anything small. If I have a really important phone call to make or an email to write, I sit them down with the tiniest snack possible which will take them the longest possible time to eat. A tube of smarties will easily buy you 10 minutes of peace.
3. Don’t clean up after breakfast. What’s the point of wiping down the high chair, cleaning up the mat underneath and putting everything away when you’re going to be getting it all out again in a few hours? Sitting on some masticated Shreddies isn’t going to do the baby any harm, and it will have dried out by lunchtime anyway.
4. Let them make their own food. This may sound like false economy owing to the mess you’ll be clearing up later, but it’ll buy you the time you need in the short term and you’ll be surprised how long it takes them to carry out the simplest task. Letting BB spread butter on toast or make crisp sandwiches (you can’t beat a crisp sandwich!) generally frees up a good 20 minutes. Admittedly the butter looks like it’s been attacked with a machete (pictured), but think of the 20 minutes!
5. Bribe them. It doesn’t really matter what with – ice cream, chocolate, a trip to the park, all three – the promise of a treat later on if they’re good is essential.
Are you dreading the school holidays, or don’t they affect you? I’d love to hear your tips for coping!
This post is an entry for BritMums’ Confessions of a Summer Parent Challenge, sponsored by Anchor.
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Love that you give them tiny food to eat so it takes them longer! That’s a great idea! 🙂 X
Tiny snacks..what a genius idea! I can’t do anything on my laptop without Leo demanding to watch thomas or peppa pig on youtube! I don’t think there is anyway I could work from home, I would never be able to get anything done. Good luck for the holidays!xx #picknmix
I’m dreading the school holidays! My husband has got a couple of weeks off so that will be fine, we’ll have some days out etc but when it’s just me and the kids I don’t know what I’ll do. I have my blog to work on too and I don’t know where I’ll find the time! Evenings aren’t good for me as I’m too tired to concentrate by that point! x #PicknMix
Hee hee…great minds – I’ve been thinking exactly the same this week!!! We can do this. 🙂 #picknmix
Look at that butter! Love the tip about the snacks and making their own food – I haven’t had to deal with the 6 week holidays yet but will bare these in mind for the future! #PicknMix
I love the school holidays. No routine, no clock watching and getting to spend more time with Alice. Holly loves having her sister around to. X #TheList
Mine are older and more independent now so it’s not quite as tough. When they were younger I always used to organise lots of play dates so that you could be sure there would be some days when your kids were being entertained elsewhere so you could get on with work or whatever else needed to be done. Booking them into holiday activity camps were also an absolute saviour. We have lots around us that do everything from drama to cricket. Without all of these the holidays would have been unbearable. Good luck. #PickNMix
I already dead the thought of summer holidays and my daughter is only 17 months. They really aren’t designed to support the working parent! Your tips are great and I can imagine they all work very well. And yes you really can’t beat a crisp sandwich! #TheList
As owner of a one year old I have yet to get the freedom of sending them to school in the first place! I however am sideline blogging while being a stay at home mum. Work at home I hope will phase in at a later date! Little food is a good idea. I have already opted to not clean up after breakfast on a regular basis! #picknmix
Definitely going with the tiny snack idea. Thank you ❤️
Love the idea of food that is slow to eat. Yes, that really does give you some peace!
Now as a teacher, I do think you make it sound like we’re just childminders in term time and yes, we certainly are looking forward to the loooong holidays. But as a mum, I get the issue and have always maintained that looking after my 2 for six weeks at home is far harder work than teaching 30 in a classroom. Now that they’re older, they do keep themselves entertained more but by 11am on the first Monday off and they’re bickering, welllllll….
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Can’t beat a crisp sandwich they are far more interesting. #TheList
I have no idea how bloggers with younger children manage to still post at all, let alone in the school holidays.
I always feel like I should applaud you all! 😉 As sad as I feel sometimes that my boys are getting all grown up and independent… there are certain benefits for definite.
Thanks for linking up
Stevie x #PicknMix
Super ideas, particularly the box of raisins idea ha ha ha! #thelist
I think you are all amazing. I struggle to do anything with my little girl but I am definitely trying the tiny snacks tomorrow. Thank you for the tips I got a great stay at home job so it is great to get some ideas on how to get some work done
These tips are brilliant! I will be getting the kids to make their own lunches during the summer hols now. And the tip on the smallest snack, love it!! #PicknMix
Great tips. Commenting for myself and on behalf of BritMums and thanking you for taking part.
I think I’ll be ok if I’m still working as will feel like normal…just expensive child care!! So can see where you are coming from if at home all week and used to them being a school! Sometimes one day of entertainment is hard! Little food is a great plan!! Xx#fartglitter
I work from home too but mine are still toddler and pre-schooler so the school holidays are no different. Brilliant ideas, I will be trying a few. My eldest is old enough to make her own lunch right???
I can’t imagine being able to work at home! There’s no way the Popple would stand for it, no matter how many snacks I bribed her with. She’d be constantly trying to touch my laptop or asking to get picked up. At least her nursery stays open all summer, so I don’t have to worry about that. #fartglitter
Oh yes. Our tot went from full time nursery to full time at home 3 weeks ago (sob). Its not easy but we’re managing…just about. The garden is our savious, although we’re in and out a lot with the rain. I love a good crisp sandwich!
#fartglitter
I am SOOOO using these!! Will definitely need these over our Aussie summer. Will have those smarty packets lined up!!! #TwinklyTuesday
What a lovely post! It made me smile. My son is no longer that interested in the laptop every time I try to open it but TV definitely helps here. I sometimes feel guilty for allowing him to watch for so long and not spending time with him, but I do my best to compensate afterwards. 🙂 #TwinklyTuesday
This did make me laugh! It must be tough having your little ones join you over the summer, but equally handy that you work from home. Mine are with me all day everyday as it is because they haven’t started school yet, but I can imagine it’ll be comething I need to adapt to in the school holidays! You’re so right about tiny snacks, takes such a long time to eat #thelist
Bribery! Always a winner! Good luck for the holidays. I was a teacher and yes we used to LOVE handing them back for summer! They are so ready for the break and also very much ready to come back in September! Xx
Forgot #TwinklyTuesday xx
Ha great. I work from home year round as a writer and it’s SUCH a balancing act with a two year old (and two at school). TV is my friend. I like the making their own food idea…what could possibly go wrong…maybe not the two year old. Great post. #TwinklyTuesday
Love this! I work from home so I’ve no idea what I’ll do over the summer. With Archie’s Autism brides etc are out of the window but I’m sure I’m come up with some crafty idea to buy myself a bit of free time 🙂 #TwinklyTuesdays
Lol, I’m glad it’s not just me who sees that notification that the TV has been on for too long! Sometimes it really is the only way to get some work done, isn’t it? #twinklytuesday
I fold up construction paper and have her make cards for people. Keeps her busy for hours, thank God #fartglitter
I’ve just had quite a few freelance projects come in and I’ve NO IDEA how I’m going to make it work with the school holidays looming! I will be taking up your tips and putting them in front of the TV with lots of small snacks to contend with! #TwinklyTuesday
Love the honesty! The TV is my fave babysitter too. Happy holidays:)
#Fartglitter
I love this beautifully honest tips! Especially the small food lol! I do all of these already and my son isn’t even at school yet 😉 xx #bestandworst
Ahh brilliant – we’re dreading the summer holidays too – 6 whole weeks, gah. But these are great tips, especially making their own food which has made me crave a crisp sandwich! TV and not wiping the highchair from time to time are already staples during term time though 😉 #bestandworst
Haha brilliant post. I never bribe, nope…..not me….never. Ha. Thanks for linking up! #bestandworst
Love this! I forget about how hard the holidays must be when you work from home! We are not at school age yet, neither are we at working from home stage (I can but dream) but I shall remember these tips! Although the last time I gave Zach jelly tots, he went completely and utterly hyper! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
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