Leading up to the holidays I’m always thinking “This is going to be great! I’m not going to have to make lunches every day. I’m going to get quality time with my kids!”. 

But then I’m in the thick of it thinking “When is this going to end! Why does it have to be Two, Whole. Weeks?!” 

It’s fun, isn’t it?! ; )

So here we have my 3 Tips for Surviving the Holidays as a Business Owner:

1.Expectation Management

I always try to start school holiday days with a family meeting, like a team huddle. I get out the whiteboard, we sit at the kitchen bench, and we write out what our days are going to look like—It’s not going to be 2 weeks of activity central! Letting the kids know there will be some uptime AND downtime involved (both for you and the kids) is important. Find out what each of your kids would consider a perfect day or a perfect experience and see if you can’t facilitate that on one day of the holidays. There’s nothing like some anticipation of having something to look forward to!

2.Make Downtime Fun!

My kids love a pajama day so I make downtime fun by planning a movie and PJ day. Screentime limits can go out the window. Let them indulge. Chances are they need it anyway! I find the kids are always exhausted at the end of a school term and quiet days at home are often exactly what they, and I, need. Sometimes I might enjoy the relax with them, and other days I might take the opportunity to get in some deep work sessions. I always let them know what to expect and communicate to them if I’ll be working while they’re watching because → Expectation Management!

3. Lean on the Experts!

Ok, so if you know me, you’ll know I’m not a nature person. I am happy to say that I like theatres, velvet red curtains, applause and an overture. I don’t like getting dirty and being outdoors, but I know that my children do. So my solution is to engage the “outdoor experts”. I book my kids in for outdoors-based school holiday programs they can join where there’s lots of fort building, climbing in the mud and all that type of stuff. It’s okay to know your limits in the school holidays and pay the experts to help give your kids experiences they’ll love! 

Oh, and a bonus tip? Plan for all kids to be occupied at the same time!

There’s no use planning an activity for one child and then having another one or two at home “bored” and wanting all of your attention! 

The trick to surviving the school holidays for me was to finally embrace what works for our family, instead of trying to be Mrs Holiday! There’s no “right way” to get through school holidays, so do what you need to do to take care of yourself and your children.