How to Juggle Work and the School Holidays

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Juggling work and the school holidays is never an easy task. Organising care arrangements, planning fun outings for the kids, and managing the expectations of your children can make each school holiday period a stressful time for even the most organised parent.

Are you wrestling with work and school holidays right now? Here are some tips to help get you through it.

USE HOLIDAY CARE PROGRAMS

Holiday care programs are fun and convenient and most people can claim a rebate in the form of the Child Care Subsidy when they use them. Even if you don’t want to use holiday care programs for the whole holidays, using them for at least some of the time can help fill the gaps in your care arrangements and give you a break too.

Holiday programs often plan amazing excursions, have interesting visitors and hold fun-themed days for the kids to get excited about. Plus, it will also give your child some time to spend with their friends away from the formal setting of school.

Research holiday care programs around you and find one that’s a great fit for you and your child.

ORGANISE A SPECIAL DAY (OR TWO)

A great way to relieve some of the guilt of working during the school holidays is to organise some time during each holiday period for you to spend with your child. Even if you can only manage one day off work it can have great benefits.

Count down until the day with your child to create excitement, and then plan to do things they want to do. It might be skating, bike riding, going to the movies, visiting a friend, or going for a swim. Filling up one day with wonderful memories like this helps you feel connected with your child and is super fun too.

SAY NO TO GUILT

There’s always an element of guilt that comes when you have to go to work while your children are on school holidays. You feel like you’re being torn in two, not doing anything perfectly. Rest assured it’s completely normal to feel that way but there’s no use carrying that guilt around with you! Not only does it make you feel bad but it can affect your work performance too. There’s no perfect way to parent so know you are doing your best – whether you feel like it or not.

School holidays are always going to be a challenging time for working parents, but with a little organisation and planning you can make sure it’s a little less stressful for you and your family.

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