Tips for surviving and thriving throughout the summer holidays

As a family support charity, we are sharing our top tips for families to help them flourish through the upcoming summer break.

With pupils about to finish the school year and not return to the classroom until September, many parents will be finding themselves wondering how to make it through the six-week break.

Home-Start Suffolk is a charity committed to supporting families with children under 12 through challenging times. We understand that parents and carers can often find the pressures of family life overwhelming, so we offer practical and emotional support to families across Suffolk through our network of over 280 volunteers.

Alison Grant, family support manager at Home-Start Suffolk says “For children, the six-week break can be exciting and often much-needed but for parents, it can feel that there is an expectation to spend every second of the holidays as a family and fill every day with something different.

“Whether you are trying to think of activities to keep the children entertained or organising childcare without breaking the bank, there is a lot for parents to consider and the summer holidays can be daunting.

“We regularly experience a rise in referrals in the lead up to the summer holidays because our professional partners recognise the additional pressures parents are facing and a little bit of extra support from us goes a long way.”

Here are Home-Start Suffolk’s six tips to help parents alleviate some of their worries ahead of the summer break:

1. 1. Plan ahead. It helps to know what will be happening each week and where each member of your family will be and when, particularly for working parents. Being prepared also enables you to decide which events you plan on attending as a family and ensures there is some downtime scheduled for everyone. If you are a working parent, it is a good idea to plan childcare ahead of the holidays where possible so you can book holiday clubs or ask family and friends to help with childcare.
   2. It is okay to not have plans every single day. It is actually good for children to have some downtime and get bored from time to time so make sure there are days with little to no plans in your schedule too. Often, boredom brings out a child’s creativity and lets them explore activities in the home and garden that help them find out what they enjoy.
   3. Days out don’t have to be expensive. When you do plan a family activity, it doesn’t have to be an extravagant day out which puts pressure on your finances. Free and cheaper activities such as playing at the park, going for a bike ride or going crabbing can provide fun for the whole family, as well as fresh air and stimulation for the children.
   4. Look out for free local activities. Across Suffolk, there are lots of places to visit which offer low cost or free family activities, such as your local library, museum or castle. There are also free activities organised specifically for families, such as the community fun days being held in Babergh and Mid Suffolk, so check online for details of family days near you.
   5. Use the national Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme if you are eligible. HAF funded places are available for free for children under 16 who receive benefits related free school meals. Activities on offer in Suffolk include swimming sessions, a pony camp and gymnastics classes, as well as holiday clubs. These can be booked on Suffolk County Council’s website.
   6. Ask for help if you need it. Ask your friends, family and other parents for support if you are struggling over the summer break. Whether you need help with childcare for a few hours or a listening ear, your friends and family won’t know what support you need unless you ask. Chances are, if they have experience of having school age children too, they will understand your emotions and have experienced similar struggles. Often, a listening ear and sharing the load makes a big difference.

If you are interested in easing the pressure for parents across Suffolk and would like to offer your time to volunteer, you can find out more on our Volunteering page.