What to do with your kids. How to get help. How to treat yourself and your family.
So its the holidays and you are feeling that pending doom feeling in your tummy. Those thoughts of "what will I do with them"? How will I balance my work and childcare? What about all the chocolate and sweets? And finally how will I survive without having a coronary?
Make holidays a perfectly blissful, aligned time of fun, rest and time off for you and your kiddiwinks.
Tip #1 - Plan!!!!!! Before the holidays arrive make plans for them.
This may sound really obvious but for me it took a few chaotic, horrifically boring and exhausting holidays to realise it goes so much better when I plan for them. So sit down, google 'activities for kids' to slot in a few things over the two weeks or six weeks that you know are going to be something to look forward to for you or your kids. Such as the zoo, or a lights show or a week long holiday in France. Put these activities in your diary and have a rest/duvet day the day after for balance. Thats probably at least half of the time sorted already with just one hour of planning.
Tip #2 - Book childcare/retreat time for you.
This may defeat the object of having holiday time with your children but even teachers get days off! So do this for yourself. If you have amazing Grandparents like my daughter does then ask them - can you come on this day please so I can go to Yoga or go out on the town whilst your kiddiwink enjoys some nurturing Grandparent time. If you have a childminder in your contacts then ask them to slot you in for a morning out with your friend shopping or visiting a beautiful river. You can do all these activities with your kids too but make sure you have this planned for yourself as well. This will again prepare your system for those mad hectic joyful days when you know theres a chance to deeply rest too.
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Tip #3 - Special time
For me personally learning about 'Special Time' was a game changer, this is from the parenting model - Hand in Hand parenting. Special time is putting aside a set amount of time for you to spend with your child completely focused on them. So for example you set a time for 20 minutes and ask your child, what do you want to do for this time? From memory me and Tanisha did a lot of 'Socks fights' on my bed, where I would spend the whole time trying to pull her socks off and then she would do the same to me. It was the best, teenager Tanisha is more interested in cool activities such as McDonalds or Shopping. Special time is wonderful and can clear that nagging feeling we can get as parents where wee feel guilt at not connecting enough with our little ones. Special time encourages us to deeply connect, see and feel our beautiful children with the safety of the time limit.
Tip #4 - Make the mundane magical
For any of you who feel the pressure of those big fancy day trips such as Alton Towers or Disney Land here is the tip of making the mundane things magical. Supermarkets can be like Disworld for your tummy! And you have to do them anyway so why not have fun and make them work for it. Give your child a task to do, find the bananas! Or count the shopping items. This can be the same for going to the park, change the thinking to 'we are getting fresh' and being eco friendly by not driving.
Tip #5 - Join a parenting support group
For me I needed to learn how to be me which made me a more present mother. So if you really want to be prepared then join a support group for the holiday period. There are many out there, I have one too so please reach out to join the Hearts group for parents. This could be a weekly yoga space for mums specifically or an online evening group for after your child has gone to bed. Having a virtual space where you can connect with other mums can be a game changer when you are amidst holding space for your child having a horrific tantrum.
Don’t Forget to be kind to yourself.
'Come down into your body and know deeply you are loved, held and honoured' - Jen
Please leave a comment below and contact me to find out more about the Hearts group or booking a session of EFT with Oils...Click Here for more info.