How to Make the Most of the School Holidays With Your Kids

The mid-year school break is upon us, while the pandemic and work-from-home arrangements persist. Don’t sweat it, parents—here’s what you can do to make it an enjoyable time for you and your kids

The school holidays can seem to be never-ending days, now that the kids are attached to your hip, testing your patience and threatening to push your sanity over the edge. It should be a precious time to bond with our kids, but without school to occupy them, many of us inevitably find these long days a nightmare.

With the pandemic still going on and socialising restrictions in place, finding activities to keep the kids busy is challenging. For me, the school holidays mean a decrease in my work productivity but also an increase in my personal happiness—for me, it’s about making some sacrifices pertaining to work, and making the moments with my children count.

Relish happy moments together

I recently saw a friend’s post on Facebook about losing a loved one to Covid-19, and it brought up memories of the people I’ve known and lost due to the pandemic. I thought about how carelessly we rush through our days, especially when we feel worried and anxious. Only when we lose something, do we regret not holding onto it.

Which is why I intend to spend time more meaningfully with my kids. It’s easy to fall into the “martyr mum” syndrome and block out entire days to spend every waking moment with them, but I would rather give them quality over quantity, when it comes to my time. By planning moments when I can be fully present and focused, I can be more engaged when spending time with them.

Plan activities to boost well-being

Before the holidays commenced, I sat down with my kids to plan habitual, daily activities for them. I made sure to involve them in the process and also set out a holistic plan. It includes healthy habits like taking the dog for a walk, practising yoga and meditation. Of course, we also included academic goals like reading, writing and math practice.

We also planned moments of social interaction and playdates. We designated time to be spent together as a family, which included special dinners, walks and swims. I believe having this structure may feel restrictive to some, but for parents who work, or those who would like to have moments in their week to look forward to (which helps to decrease anxiety and boost positivity), planning ahead for a few days can be helpful and motivating.

Get started on decluttering

Make a chore fun by engaging your child’s interest. Recently, my daughter Lara became obsessed with the Home Edit, and feeling inspired, she re-arranged our bookshelf by colour. It took a few hours, but because it was her personal project and goal, she thoroughly enjoyed those mindful moments.

I believe in helping children to develop healthy life-long habits. A great way to encourage them to clean, declutter and tidy up after themselves is to tap into the Global Mindful Journey, which helps foster meaningful family connections by creating a peaceful home environment through mindful organising strategies.

Sign them up for online workshops

Get your kids onto an online educational platform, where they can interact with other kids and learn at the same time. Neobael was started in Singapore last year and provides online STEAM workshops for primary-school-level learners, in which they learn to solve real-world problems through project-based, inquiry-led learning. They’ll also have a chance to be creative and have fun in the process.

Write a letter

A great way to pass the time is to get your kids to express their feelings for someone (a friend, frontline worker, teacher, family member or neighbour) by penning them down in a letter. Thanking, showing gratitude, decorating that letter and doing it for someone else increases well-being in your child as well as the recipient.

Cook or bake

For budding chefs, like my daughter, there are a plethora of simple recipes online as well as video recipes on apps like Tasty, which are fun for kids to follow. For healthy snacks and meals, our go-to website is Healthy-ish & Happy—our current favourite thing to make is the seed cracker.

When we bake or cook, I also encourage my kids to take a few moments to relish and savour what they created. I ask them to pay particular attention to the smell and taste, and notice what they feel when they eat it. It slows down the time, stops us from rushing through the day, and gives meaning and purpose to the small everyday moments.

Head outdoors

In our little red dot, we are blessed to have so many parks and outdoor spaces in which we can get closer to nature and enjoy some fresh air. Start your day outside—even if all you can spare are 15 minutes—with your children. Every Sunday, we go—as a family—for a long walk at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

On weekdays, my husband takes the kids out for morning walks. It is his time to bond with them, chat about life, their dreams, and even the things that hurt and bother them. Being outdoors increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in our body, which regulate our mood, digestion, memory, sleep and ability to learn.

Enjoy these moments with your children and don’t over-plan every second, but don’t waste this wonderful time either. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that life is short and precious.

Shireena Shroff Manchharam is a certified life and happiness coach with her own practice, Sheens Image Consulting. Her passion is in helping individuals reach their highest potential and she is always on a mission to bring happiness to people’s lives. Her husband, Ashish, and two kids—Lara and Arian—and her pet dog, Bowen, are her constant source of love and happiness.

This is the ninth in a series by Shireena Shroff Manchharam on mindfulness and gratitude.

Topics

school holidays

Tatler Asia