After 40 weeks of harried mornings, countless practice papers, various tests and exams, after-school sessions and trainings for co-curricular activities, not to mention extra Chinese classes, the year-end break always brings about the biggest sigh of relief.
No school! No classes! No early mornings! No early nights! Just six weeks of blissful unstructured freedom (or eight, if you’re a parent to secondary school children).
But I confess: As a Type A mum, having no plan for the school holidays kicks my anxiety into high gear.
Every year, for the 12 weeks that the kids are out of school, I always feel like it’s my responsibility to make the most of every minute. The thought of “wasting” the time away feels unbearable.
On top of that, social media constantly reminds me that I have just 18 years to soak it all in. I shudder every time I come across that popular internet idea that 75 per cent of all the time I’ll ever spend with my kids will be up by the time they turn 12.
With my oldest turning 12 next year, every holiday break feels more precious than the last.
That’s what makes the million-dollar question for me and many other parents: What do we do during school holidays with our kids?
BUSY HOLIDAYS OVERTAKEN BY BUSY LIFE
Before my older children entered primary school, I was determined to keep them actively engaged throughout the holidays.
I planned and packed each day to the brim: Park and beach visits, holiday camps, outings to museums, the zoo, aquarium, Science Centre, water parks and theme parks, and every other attraction I could find. I’d scour the internet for the latest activities, trying to take them out as often as I could.
