Most parents are aware of the school holidays weeks before they show up. Yet, it is common to find these same parents wondering where all the time went whenever the holidays come to an end. Both children and parents find that at the end of the holiday season, they cannot point to something tangible accomplished within the period. The reason for this is simple: most folks don’t plan their children’s activities before the holidays, and some don’t even plan.
Below we discuss some of the most important reasons you should plan for your children’s holiday and the steps to take to ensure the holiday season is not wasted.
How To Plan For Your Children’s Holidays
Below are some of the tips you can try out:
1. Have a Goal
What do you want your children to spend the holidays doing? This is not a trick question, and there’s no wrong answer. You could travel with your kids somewhere, have them visit a relative, or enroll them in piano lessons, ballet, or anything. The important thing is to have a goal in mind. Decide what you want your children to spend the time doing before the holidays. That’d make it easier for you to hit your target.
2. Create a Schedule
Now that you have a goal, break down the goal into small bits to fit into days and weeks. Depending on how detail-oriented you are, your schedule could contain activities for each day or just a broad template of what to expect in a day or a week. Here’s one thing to bear in mind: be reasonable. Understand that you are dealing with kids. Hence, you need to have some wiggle room. Also, the intention is not to create a schedule that is as rigorous as your child’s PSLE exam.
3. Include Study Time
Study time should also be part of the schedule you draft for your kids. However, discussing this item specifically under a separate head is important. The holidays allow you to try out non-traditional study patterns. In addition, you can check out videos and expert suggestions on how to engage your children academically during the holidays.
4. Don’t Forget To Let Them Play!
This is pretty self-explanatory. A holiday should be a holiday. Thus, there should be a lot of fun activities within that period. So, actively plan for playtime for your children. But, of course, when it comes to this, children are more than capable of figuring things out themselves.
The Benefits of Planning Ahead for Your Children’s Holidays
The reasons why it is necessary to begin planning for your children’s holidays at the earliest possible opportunity would seem pretty self-explanatory. Here are the most important ones:
● Planning Helps You Maximize the Holidays
Planning ahead for any activity is the best hack to ensure that you maximize the time slated for said activity. It is, after all, said that if one fails to plan, the fellow surely plans to fail. So, investing some time in planning for your children’s holiday activities before the holidays show up ensures you and your child(ren) have the best holiday experience.
● Planning Gives You Room To Explore Different Activities
What happens when you do not plan for your children’s activities or start planning late? You plan in a rush, and with that comes the possibility of mistakes. When you thoughtfully plan for your children’s holiday, you can incorporate different beneficial activities to occupy them during this free time. Instead of having them spend hours on end before a TV screen, you can channel the energy and time they have into productive activities such as picking up a new skill, learning a new language or even just making new friends.
● Planning Ahead Helps You Sort Out Care For Your Children
If you are working full-time, the chances are that you may not be free while your children are on holiday. This means you would need someone to mind your children while at work. This is especially the case if you have toddlers. Planning saves you and everyone else the inconvenience of shopping around for caregivers for your children. It is not enough to ship your children to a relative or friend. It shows responsibility if you can make proper arrangements for your children and not impose them on others, however close they are to you.
● It Shows Your Children Where Your Priorities Lie
Children see and learn from even the littlest actions. They know that you prioritize their care and welfare when you plan for their holidays. This will go a long way in helping create bonds between you and your children. In addition, you communicate the essence of proper planning to your children when you plan ahead for their holidays. You will be setting precedents and teaching them valuable lessons they can implement in various other areas of their lives.
Let Explico Help You As You Prepare for the Holidays
While you focus on extracurricular activities, babysitting arrangements, and the million other things that need care before the holiday season, you can trust explico to address your child’s academic needs. Explico will diagnose where exactly your child needs help. Partnering with us, we can work out a study system to maximize your child’s holiday period. So do reach out to Explico today!
