How To Survive School Summer Holidays

Without some organisation, school summer holidays can be a stressful time where us parents attempt to juggle kids, work and home. If you want to not just survive but to win at this year’s school holidays, keep reading for my essential tips and hacks.

Watch The Video

ad disclosure – this post may contain affiliate links

Set Out Your Summer Routine

My first tip would be to think about what kind of routine you may want for your summer. Now you might want to totally throw routine out of the window because you’re sick of the routine that is usually imposed by school and that it totally okay. If, however, you have children who respond well to routine, especially if they are on the autism spectrum, routine can be an excellent way to keep your school holidays calm.

If you also have small babies and toddlers who are on a nap schedule, this will naturally form the basis of your family’s summer routine. If not, start by basing your routine around set meal times.

Even if you allow your children to stay up slightly later than usual during the holidays, I’d highly recommend keeping a set bedtime (whatever that may be) and bed time routine.

Set Ground Rules

Ask your kids what they think the ground rules should be and come up with a list together. Examples of rules could be “always be kind” rouse your manners. By coming up with the list together, your kids are more likely to remember and potentially stick to the rules.

Agree Chores With Kids

As with the rules, talk to your kids about which chores you would like them to complete this summer. Chores many include making their beds in the mornings, putting away toys, clearing the dinner table or putting laundry in the first hamper.

Implement Incentive Charts

If you’d like your children to stick to the rules and complete their chores, try using an incentive chart. You can download my free printable charts by using the link below.

Get The Printables

Hydration Habit

Make sure that all family members are drinking enough eater this summer. I find that having the right drinks containers that keep water nice and cool really help with this. I like to use a cold cup with a metal straw when at home or in the car. For in my bag when out and about I prefer a Chilly type bottle.

Cold Cup With Straw

Cold Cup

Chilly Bottles

Chilly Bottles

Stock Up On Snacks

If you want to win at summer, you’ve got to stock up on those snacks! Think about options that can be easily taken on days out.

Snack Policy

Think about how to allocate snacks to your kids. Will you pick a snack time like they do in school? Give each child a basket or bowl with their snacks for the day in it to eat when they wish? Or will you set up a “snack shop” and give your children coins to “purchase” their snacks each day? This last option can be great for not only limiting snacks based on the amount of money you give your child, but it’s a great little maths exercise too.

Visual Timetable

Many children, especially those on the spectrum, respond well to a visual timetable when at home in order to know which activity is coming next. This can be created with pictures for young children or written out for older kids.

Family Calendar

I’d highly recommend setting up a digital family calendar so that you can coordinate where every family member has to be and when.

How To Setup Digital Calendars

Fit Movement Into Each Day

It can be pretty hard to fit in formal exercise with the kids off school, but try to fit in some form of movement into every day. This could be going for walks, dance parties with your kids, or yoga sessions that your children join in with.

The Best Workouts To Do At Home

Set A Challenge

Consider setting your children a challenge this summer. Here are some suggestions;

Reading challenge
Steps challenge
Decluttering challange

Stock The Craft Box

Buy Stationery Organiser Caddy

Stock up on pens, paper, scissors, glue and other crafting essentials. You don’t have to be a crafty, Pinterest type Mum (this coming from a non crafty, non Pinterest type Mum) for your kids to be able to enjoy doing basic drawing, cutting and sticking to keep them entertained.

Pick Your Sun Protection

Stock up on your favourite brand of sun protection. Look for a high SPF for your kids, I’d suggest factor 50.

I like the Soltan Protect & Swim as it lasts up to 8 hours in the sun or up to 3 hours if your kids are in and out of the water.

Soltan Kids Once 8hr Play Spray SPF50+ 200ml

For top ups while out and about I like wither a stick or roll on sun protection for minimal mess.

Make sure that you test out your sun protection on your family before any big days out to ensure that it reacts well with their skin.

Pack An Essentials Bag

Just as I’d always suggest keeping a changing bag permanently packed when you have babies, keep a day out bag packed and ready to go when your kids are off for the summer. Include sun protection, change, hats, picnic blankets, snacks and anything else you need so that you can be ready for a day out at a moment’s notice.

Ditch the guilt

Something us Mums often struggle with is Mum guilt. Sadly there are plenty of opportunities for Mum guilt to creep in through the holidays, but I ma here to tell you that it needs to stop. let’s make a pledge here and now to ditch the Mum guilt and enjoy the summer.