Today is the last day of term for the Highland schools. The Summer holidays are upon us; although that seemed an odd concept to me as I trundled down to the lamb shed this morning, cocooned in full waterproofs and a woolly hat. There is a fierce, wet wind blowing. Seagulls sit huddled on the field waiting for the squall to pass. The forecast shows rain for the foreseeable future (although the sun may grace us with her presence on Sunday afternoon for an hour or two).
But yes, it is the last day of the school term. My boys left for the bus at 7.30am. It is a half day, meaning that they will spend as much time travelling today as they will spend in the school building. They were keen to go however and I don’t blame them. There is an exciting magic in the air of a school on the last day of term. Spirits are high.
We home educated through the primary school years. Once our eldest reached age twelve, we gave him the choice of high school or home school. He chose high school and last year, his younger brother followed. So I am relatively new to the role of ‘School Parent’. l have only spent the last three years under the control of the alarm clock and school timetables. It was a shock to the system initially but I am getting there now. (And rest assured, home educating the boys until high school did not hamper them in any way. It has worked out nicely.)
Numerous times this week, I have heard comments about the difficulty of keeping children entertained through the seven week long holiday. Or an expression of sadness that ‘we have nothing planned’. If you are a parent, I want to reassure you that you don’t need to have anything planned. In this day and age, going out and spending money to entertain ourselves is pushed on us all the time. Leaving us bereft if we can't do these things. If you want to travel and cram in lots of activities, great! But if you don’t wish to or can’t, you shouldn’t feel bad. Time spent at home - doing ‘nothing’ - is valuable time. Cherish it.
Easy for me to say now but I didn’t always feel like this. When my children were smaller, I used to feel so anxious around the school holidays. While we weren’t tied to the school system back then, I couldn’t help but notice that all around me, other families seemed to be doing All. The. Things. Every social media feed filled up with images of friends and family having what looked like the time of their lives. Holidays abroad, day trips out, lunches, camping, parties. It seemed never ending. We didn’t have the time or money for any of it and it left me feeling slightly sad. As if my children were missing out or I was failing them somehow. Over time, my feelings changed. My confidence as a parent grew.
I stopped feeling that we had to go away to have an experience. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful place with lots of outdoor space and we’ve worked to make home a place that we want to be. I realised that my children were really happy at home and actually, a weekend away to the city once a year is enough for us all - there are only so many shops and parks we want to walk around. Eating out is expensive and busy. It is far more satisfying to spend that money eating well year round at home.
So we have no plans for these holidays and I can't wait. We will have wonderful meals, time outside, BBQs, camping, fishing, swimming, talking, film nights…and we don't have to leave home in order to do so.
It's midday now. The final bell will be ringing and lots of children will be enthusiastically exiting the school building. I've marinated some ribs and made fresh lemonade for a family lunch. I can't wait for the weeks ahead.
At home, living simply.
Children don’t need stimulation with outings and activities all the time. Being bored at home is healthy for them, they need a rest from the busyness and routine of school. It also nurtures inventiveness and curiosity which is no bad thing either!
So wise! Those simple special times are the best and will be treasured in your children’s memories. I’ve asked many adults to share favorite childhood memories. They are never the Disney trips or expensive outings; they are shelling peas on the porch, digging holes with friends, cooking over backyard fires and building forts. I know you and your family will enjoy these wonderful holidays, no matter the weather!