Six weeks is such a long time. Some schools have an even longer Summer break. Schools in Scotland return during August. Differing Local Authorities in England return at different times. When to start? When to finish? How do you, as a parent, keep track of it all?
You have just “enjoyed” a Summer of juggling work and leisure time, trying to keep your child moving forward throughout. Keeping the plates spinning for the whole Summer holiday has been a real challenge. How would you score yourself, on reflection?
Did you just survive, or thrive on changes to routine and meeting everyone’s needs. Did you enjoy a holiday over the Summer. Was all of the holiday planning worthwhile? The trip of a lifetime, or just plain old less than perfect? Will this Summer’s experience lead you to think differently in 2025? What about days out? Did you, as a family visit all of those places that were on your bucket list? Did they all produce wow moments and satisfaction for the family? Were there disappointments along the way? Did you manage to see those family members or friends you’ve been promising to visit for years?
If you get your family together after the September return to school, and discuss all aspects of what you have done over the Summer, does everyone feel happy with their own personal experiences?
It’s really difficult to find a one size fits all solution to meeting everyone’s needs successfully. Try not to be too critical; the plans that you put in place were designed to be a balance of everyone’s needs and wants. Don’t beat yourself up for putting others first and trying to be a great parent.
There are a lot of questions here; it’s impossible to answer them satisfactorily. Perhaps as a family you set yourself a benchmark; if we can be 75% happy, is that good enough?
Let’s conclude on a high. Whatever happened over the last 6 to 8 weeks, it’s all over and you don’t need to do it again for almost 12 months. Your children are returning to school, back to a routine, allowing you to devote more time to your own needs. As long as the youngest members of the family are happy in school you can relax about their learning and happiness. No, wait a minute. We need to make sure that they organise their Kip sessions for the new term. They need to be “on it”, and achieving their full potential during this new school year. Kip provides the consistent approach to learning success, boosting confidence and self esteem along the way. It’s something that you don’t need to spend ages planning (we do that for you), and worrying about the outcomes. No worries.
