24 Aug Five tips to save your sanity next school holidays
5 Steps to survive school holidays without losing your sh*t!
It doesn’t happen often. Probably because I am too busy to notice but these past school holidays my mum spirit broke. Well, let’s say it shattered into a million pieces.Sometimes it’s the accumulation of little niggles that creates a shitstorm in me and this was a shitstorm like no other.
Over the course of two weeks my irritation grew. It was a gradual drip, drip, drip. Then, it was a flood.
Any mum will agree the noise of children inside the house is something to behold. The noise of three young girls in a small house is a high-pitched instrument of torture. As the days dragged on so the whining and whinging dragged out like nails down a blackboard.
“Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm” “I’m hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”
And thus the pitch of my voice rose to match their twang. I began screeching at them as all mothers before and all mothers to come. Sounding ever more like my own mother with those fabulous unanswerable questions “Why don’t you girls – insert current issue here – listen,help, tidy up, clean your room, brush your teeth.”
As the days rolled on and my mum mood plummeted I knew I could not face another school holiday like this one. I needed a plan.
Here it is…My 5 point plan to not losing your sh*t next school holidays.
- Space out the activities. Its easy to get caught up in the excitement in the first week only to crash in the second week. Next time, I will space the action out over the two weeks.
- Exercise – I NEED to move my body. Not to be skinny, to be sane! If I don’t do some movement each day I become a bit twitchy. Extend that past 3 days and I am like Mt Etna ready to erupt. Note to self- book the kids into the crèche early for the next holidays.
- Organise something special for each child. I could see that my girls were getting lumped in the one basket a lot these holidays. It is easy to do with three kids so close in age who are all the same gender. I could feel that they really needed some alone time and our small house wasn’t allowing for that nice quiet play they were craving. Next holidays I will organise a special sleepover or play date for each one at a grandparent or friends house.
- Ask for help – This is a big one! Next holidays I am going to ask hubby or a grandparent (I know I am lucky to have them all around and available) to help out. I know I can’t handle the burden of holidays alone and if it’s possible to have some relief than I am gonna take it!
- Do something Non-Mum – I think a girls night out or date night will sit perfectly in this position. I’m gonna get as far away as physically possible (or just down to the local Chinese restraurant) for some soul-restorative whinging and bitching. Ahhhh!
I discovered over those 14 days that no mum is an island and leaving myself drifting alone in a big sea of messy, emotional, tired children and their toys, teddies and blankets left me feeling more alone than ever.
Make a pact with me to make a plan mums. There are 12 weeks every year that we have to survive and if we don’t plan for them we are all gonna be Islands in the stream and there’s only one song to fix that. Take it away Kenny and Dolly….
About the Author
Bron is a blogger, stylist and mum to three young girls. Her blog Flat Bum Mum aims to help mums find and love their style. Bron also hosts a monthly mother’s group called The Laundry Lounge where mums can have a virtual whine and wine.
Website: http://www.flatbummum.com/