Its nearing return to school and after a long break the kids are climbing the wall, with you not far behind them!
While there is no magic formula or 'return to sender' address to make those last few days and weeks easier, here are some self help tips we have picked up over the years:-
● Exercise patience - after all, it's a good thing that kids are eager to get back to school. See our post entitled "Master this Patience Technique to Stressbust™" for an example
● Keep a close eye, as "the devil makes work for idle hands", so boredom can manifest itself in odd behaviour in even the most mild mannered, otherwise angelic children
● Regular exercise may be the order of the day here, even if it's just a brisk walk in the fresh air from time to time or see our post entitled "The Value of Morning "Stretchbusting™""
● Keep a good sense of humour to set a positive tone no matter how challenging that may be; lock away any perception of being the perfect parent or having perfect kids, as there is no such thing - see our post entitled "Break Time Quickie : Open the Door to Imperfection – it can be Liberating as well as Stressbusting™"
● In this age of technological obsession, make sure kids aren't feeling isolated - see our post entitled "Modes of Questioning to Stressbust™ for Loved Ones" and try to engineer some regular physical contact with friends, whether through summer schools or safe, organised meet ups
● Be creative and try to identify cost efficient local attractions or other free events that can be enjoyed by the whole family - see our posts entitled ""Get Away from it All" to Stressbust™ For a Bit" and "Keep an eye out for nearby Stressbusting™ Activities" for some simple ideas. Most events (and there are many free events over the summer months) are advertised online so you may need to "Embrace Technology to Stressbust™" as necessary and persist to identify something appropriate because "Never assume your 1st search engine result will give you the information you are looking for!"
● Ditch the burgers with oven chips as a good diet can be a first class mood enhancer, as explained by HeadChefSantiago in his post entitled ""HeadChefSantiago™ on the best foods for reducing stress"" along with other healthy alternative recipes he dishes up on this site. See also "Top 10 Super Cost Effective Stressbusting™ Tips to Dietary Wellness that SAVED us money" for tips on healthy eating on a budget
● Encourage an inclusive and conducive environment in and around the home and encourage kids to be actively involved in that exercise so they part own it - see our post entitled "10 Stressbusting™ Themes for Decorating to Innovate & Inspire" and "Leverage the StressBusting™ Value of "Flower Power"" for ideas
● If desperate, engage a blast from the past and dig out the board games. Nobody can fail, for example, to become engrossed in a good, competitive game of monopoly or charades and they can create opportunities for relaxed, humorous dialogue and conversion that might otherwise not take place - see our post entitled "Extend your Vocabulary to Stressbust™"
● When struggling for any reason to persuade the young ones to take positive desired action, bear in mind that giving options can help them feel they are part of the decision making process - see our post entitled "Learn to "sell well" to prosper" for further approach guidance.
We hear so many parents during school term comment they wish the holidays would arrive, then when they do revert to saying they wish they were over.
But don't give up on it being an enjoyable time; and remember, even if the kids seem to be making your life a misery, there is hope, because as explained in our post so entitled, "Break Time Quickie - Even wild flowers can blossom" 👍😆
We hope the above accessible tips help break that cycle and welcome readers own tips and experiences for inclusion in a "Summer Holiday Survival Kit"!
SympatheticLove,
LouLoU™&MikeyM™😊😍😎🧡💛💕 xxxx