6 Ways to Cope With School Holidays

Meal planner

Whenever holidays come around, I suddenly panic about the meals that we have to prepare and cook.  So this holiday, we are going to draw up a meal planner. That means I know what items I need to buy and can prepare the meals in advance. This means the kids hopefully won't get baked beans for 2 days in a row.

Trips away

We are going to look online and make a list of what is happening in our local area, plus any offers on trips to London. We are lucky that we live by the coast because when the weather is good all we really need for a great day out is a picnic and a bucket and spade.  But taking them on the train somewhere new is such an adventure for everyone, except for the unsuspecting commuters who have to put up with my childrens' "dulcet" tones for the entire journey.

Shoes

I despair over this.  It seems as if each new term means a new pair of shoes.  This time, we are going to go and get their feet measured and unless we are more than 2 sizes out, they are going to have to wear those tight-pinching shoes/trainers/wellies for just one more term, because then it is summer and they can run around bare foot to allow the blisters to heal.

Clothes

See Shoes above for the same dilemma. What I always find at Easter is that the sun comes out, and it is gorgeously warm, heralding T shirt and short weather. My eldest emerges from his room, looking like Tom Hanks dressed up as a kid in "Big", as he has grown a foot or two since last summer but unsurprisingly his clothes haven't. So it's online now to find some cheap summer clothes to tide us over until my sister remembers to throw us some hand me downs from her 2 boys.

Haircuts

Always a good idea to book these in just before the start of the new term, and go for a US Marine style look.  That way they should last out the summer term without a return to the barber's chair.

Stock up on rosé... no explanation necessary on this one.

Happy holidays everyone.

Amanda Coxen, Working Mum and Tinies Director