Home
>
Parenting
>
School Holiday Survival Guide

School Holiday Survival Guide

The school holidays are a great time for the kids, all those weeks of fun and games, no school, getting up late??but not for their parents! Summer vacation time can be just as much like hard work as the rest of the year. Trying to keep the kids entertained for six whole weeks can seem like a daunting task, so here are ten top tips to help you survive the summer holidays.

1. A little planning goes along way. You don't have to time everything to the minute, but a plan of the next week's events will at least mean you make sure you have the food for the picnic on the right day.

2. Don't over-schedule your children's time. Remember they need to rest, relax and recuperate so that they are ready to go back to school in September.

3. If you need to buy any items of school uniform, stationary, books or sports equipment, get it done in the first two weeks. If you don't there will be nothing left in your child's size and you won't have enough time to sew in the name tapes.

4. Try to balance each week's activities ? too many long, exciting days at theme parks in one week will leave everyone exhausted and the poor parents penniless. Alternate trips to big attractions with quiet days at home or free activities such as walks in the park, the countryside or go to a play area if the kids are younger.

5. Try not to sign them up to too many camps and holiday clubs. They actually want and need to spend time with you.

6. Involve the children in your routine and remember that your life has to go on. The shopping still has to be done; the laundry will not hop in the washing machine then hang itself out to dry. It is easy to spend so much time amusing the children that you end up trying to do the housework in the evening. Schedule your work as well.

7. Even lazy days at home benefit from a little planning. You may want to involve the kids in cooking or a big art and craft session, but if things finish sooner than you hoped it helps to have a surprise DVD or a new game stashed away ? rent them or swap with a friend to keep it affordable.

8. Stay safe ? stock up on sunscreen, insect repellent, band aids and prescription drugs.

9. Do the boring stuff like taking the kids to the dentist or the optician. So much easier than trying to book an appointment after school.

10. Late nights and long lie-ins may be a big part of the summer break, but start to get them and you back into a routine a week before they return to school. It will make it much easier for you all when the new term begins.

Good luck for the summer, and do have fun!

Jacqui O'Brien is the editor of eParenting.co.uk, the online parenting magazine with fun and advice for parents, webguides, information, kids shopping, free printable colouring pictures and free educational software to download. Visit eParenting at http://www.eparenting.co.uk

best cleaning company Highland Park ..

In The News:

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.