it seems that parents are firmly split down the middle when it comes to the summer holidays. They either love the lack of routine and early wake-up times or they hate them and find trying to cover all the bases intolerable. However, I think it is OK to have mixed feelings about the school holidays.
For me, the holidays are pretty indicative of this whole parenting malarky. I either find it easy or really hard. There is no middle ground for me when it comes to parenting and that is often the case about the summer holidays. I wish that I could love the summer holidays like my friend Kelly does, but then again she only has one child! I spend the first week of the holidays playing referee between by boys and when I am not stopping them killing each other I am feeling jealous of my friends that have family support!
The other thing about parenting and mothering is it seems to bring out both the best and worst in people. They all have opinions are want to force them (share them) with you. They want you to be in their gang. The attachment mothering gang, the controlled crying gang, the crunchy yoghurt knitting liberals, the tiger mums, the don’t give a shit I’m having a gin gang, oh I could go on as there are many, many gangs and I do not fit perfectly into any of them. But you know what I am blooming fine about that. I am multifaceted and an individual (although it has taken me40 odd years to be able to say that and mean it).
So I mean it when I say it is mightily fine to have mixed feelings about the school holidays. I pretty much have all these feelings over the period of the six weeks with my boys!
It is OK to have mixed feelings about the school holidays
Holiday Haters
It is OK to feel resentful when arranged child care falls through.
It is OK when your child gets ill and there is a major discussion about which parent will look after them.
It is OK to feel angry that you have to use all your holiday allocation to look after the kids over the summer.
It is OK to feel upset that out of school childcare is so expensive.
It is OK to hate the fact that the house will never be tidy.
It is OK to hate the fact that you make plans and then it rains. It always rains!
It is OK to hate the fact that you have to remortgage to buy school schools.
It is OK to feel envious of people who have the money for all the courses such as football, pottery etc
It is OK to feel overwhelmed by the mental load of organising everything and everyone over the holiday period.
It is OK to feel more of a referee than a parent.
It is OK to feel taken advantage of by holiday company’s as the prices increase.
It is OK to find the lack of structure and routine challenging. I have a child with ASD and it can be difficult to keep him happy.
Holiday Lovers
It is OK to love having extra time to spend with your children.
It is OK to love not having to do school runs.
It is OK to relish organising days out.
It is OK to love long summer nights when the children only come home when it is hungry.
It is OK to love that there are no daily homework battles.
It is OK to love the lie ins and lack of routine.
It is OK to love watching the kids play with their mates locally.
It is OK to enjoy not packing packed lunches every day.
It is OK to not miss the regular weekly nit checks.
It is OK to enjoy spending time with your kids.
It is OK to love not having to worry about always having a clean school uniform.
I have to say that it has been amplified by the completely crap weather we have had this summer in the UK. I really feel as though I have spent more time as a referee than as a mum!
So have I missed anything that you hate or love about the holidays?
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