Summertime and the Living is Easy...

Ah, the summer holidays are upon us. It’s that time of the year where laziness finds respectability.
Anyone working in a school will be ready to fall off the end of term cliff after climbing a very steep slope, whilst parents will be anticipating the eight weeks with mixed feelings. For those who work, how to sort out the weeks of childcare; for those who are able to do the childcare, enjoy the freedom to step off the term time treadmill. Either way, the thought of longer days, lighter and warm evenings in the garden and more opportunity to spend time outside enables all routines to be relaxed and family time is wholeheartedly cherished by all. Everyone loves this time of year for these reasons but I've been thinking about how we use this time productively and for the benefit of everyone - child, parent and school.

As a school, we have relaxed our homework expectations during holiday periods but should your child really do nothing for eight weeks?! Some down time is essential but some ticking over is useful too.

As usual, it’s all about balance: keep some learning going but give children time to regroup. 

I certainly don’t advocate parents transforming into boot camp kumon masters nor do I condone those who let their children guide them (‘No, mum/dad/grandad/carer, I don’t need to do anything for school...!’). Some children naturally drive their own learning, are motivated and keen outside of school whilst others would happily stay rooted indoors on devices/TV and not want to see any daylight!

It's no surprise that as a Headteacher, I love welcoming children returning in September who don't need too much warming up and can hit the ground running having read a few books, tried something new or learned a new skill, maybe opportunities have arisen to keep a diary, complete a wordsearch /sudoku/crossword/puzzle etc, and perhaps some chance to problem-solve on their own: seeing life in its most real form and being bored whilst a parent gets on with some chores!

The National Trust's 50 Things to do before you're 11 3/4 is a great go-to list of the ’other’ things children can do over the holidays too and everyone’s local library has a Summer Reading Challenge. We can all get involved with these easily, plus, another plug for the respectable laziness here - reading is exactly that!

As a minimum, keep the reading going by enjoying books together (it’s a great thing to do whatever their age and has such a massive impact on success at school).

Don’t forget to allow your child to ‘catch’ you reading. But above all, spend some time building interest and empathetic relationships within the family through reading and discussion; share with them how useful learning can be when it’s relevant and fun through researching or investigating something new. However, don’t forget to read the signals: it’s time to find another stimulus when things turn into a battle!

So, however you keep things ticking over, keep it gentle and make the most of the opportunities to foster children’s curiosity and language. You could even throw some ‘respectable laziness’ into the hazy mix too.