As school holidays are coming up fast, this post will look at how to make more time for you to spend with your kids during their time away from school. They may be off, but you are probably still working full time, perhaps still at home.
Some of the tips from my previous post will still apply, but, as they have more free time, you may need some additional help give you more downtime to be with them.
The four key words here are:
Flexibility
Planning
Sharing
Independence
Flexibility:
This involves some negotiation with your work. Perhaps you can see if you can work 1 day less during the school holidays - point out that you will still be able to get your tasks done, that you if you work at home this frees up more time for work. If they agree, perhaps make it a Wednesday, so you have only two days either side of this day to manage without you. If this isn’t feasible, try for shorter days, starting later or earlier, or even being left to organise your own schedule, reducing fixed meetings and focusing on longer tasks that you can break down and take time out now and again to be with your kids. Take a few days holiday - I am sure you have some that you have not taken. Spread them out during the time-off.
If you hate to delegate, make this the time to try it out, leaving you with less on your plate to deal with, freeing up time to take breaks, finish earlier or later and take time off.
Planning:
This is for both you and your kids. Encourage them to work out a schedule of what they want to do each day. Say when you can be available to them to take them places, and when you need to work. Plan your working days to have free time if they are around the house to be with them and eat. Book fun trips in advance, and perhaps take some time off yourself to have longer downtime with them.
Make sure that for any games or craft days that you have got plenty of supplies in. Friends visiting should be included in plans, but make sure they can be outside or somewhere where you will not be disturbed if you have to work at home.
Perhaps work with other parents to plan trips together, with each of you taking turns in accompanying the kids as a group.
Sharing:
Don’t take on the burden yourself, work with others, whether its your partner, work colleagues, relatives, or friends. Start the disussions early on what they can help with, they could be in the house when you absolutely have to work, or take the kids out if you need peace and quiet, take on more work, so you have more free time. Share trips out as larger groups, so your friends also have days when they don’t have their kids with them.
Don’t struggle on. Look for part-time kids play-groups or activities that you can drop your children off for a morning or afternoon, you get to spend the journey with them if you are starting work later or taking more time out for breaks
Independence:
If they are old enough, let this be the time that your kids gain more independence from you. Encourage them to plan their time, and work out what they would like to do. if this involves going somewhere, allow them to travel by themselves (if old enough) and work out the routes to get there. The only caveat is that you know where they are going and that they check in when they get there. This could be an opportunity for life-skills and the outside world is not as scary as you think it is! You could even allow them to make their own meals (and clear up), perhaps making you something at the same time. A good lesson for when they are moving out.