Surviving the Summer Holidays as a Single Parent

The summer holidays can be a chaotic time for any parent; juggling work, childcare, holidays, not to mention keeping children amused during the break! But for single parents, it can be especially difficult to organise all of the above. Of course, you may have either a casual or more formal arrangement in place with your ex which enables you to split the childcare and activities over the summer break. Either way, here are our top tips on surviving the summer holidays as a single parent.

Preparation is Key

Planning the summer holidays well in advance is key to making sure the break is as relaxing as it can be for both you and your children. Set a schedule for any major activities that you have in the diary so that you can juggle work commitments or the children’s contact with the other parent well in advance. If you’re planning to take your children away for a summer holiday, considering dates early in the year and well in advance of the school holidays will ease the stress.

Ask for Help

A great way to share the load during the summer holidays is to ask your friends and family for a bit of help. If your children have close friends and you know and trust their parents, why not consider sharing the load? For example, if you have work commitments, your children can go to their friend’s houses for the day. The following day, you can offer to have their children as well as your own in return, so they get a break too. If you are lucky enough to have family living nearby, why not ask family members for help? Many grandparents jump at the chance to take their grandchildren out for the day during the holidays. And if they live further afield, perhaps they can go and stay for a couple of nights?

Share the Load

The summer holidays can be a good opportunity to encourage your children to help out with simple chores around the house to lighten the load for you and educate them about responsibility. Of course, it’s very dependant on the age of the child, but simple things like keeping their rooms tidy, making their beds, and clearing away toys and games at the end of the day can help you to keep on top of things. Older children can help out with housework or even basic cooking in return for pocket money or screen time. Learn to delegate! They may not do every job perfectly, but they’ll be occupied!

Keep to Child Arrangements

If you do have contact arrangements in place for your children and your ex-partner, ensure you stick to them and keep lines of communication open. Your ex may choose to take the children on holiday, or vice versa. In this case, ensure the other parent has all the details of the holiday plans including location, accommodation and flight details.

Child Arrangements During the Holidays

If you’re struggling to negotiate child arrangements with your ex-partner over the school holidays, Vines Legal can help. As experts in family law, we’ve helped many families to organise where their children will live, how much time they’ll spend with the other parent, and organise any specific issues relating to their care and upbringing. For friendly, professional advice, please contact us on 01246 555610 for a free initial consultation.