POSITIVE PARENTING: Your cheat sheet for a stress-free midterm
Organise a family outing to take the stress out of the mid-term break in Limerick
With every school year calendar comes the promise of ‘getting organised’. Knowing what dates the children are off, you vow to line up your own time off, book camps, organise fun activities and declutter some over-stocked bedrooms. Before you know it though, the break arrives along with the pressure to think of something fun EVERY DAY. As Hallowe’en approaches, here are a few ideas to help with your midterm plans:
- Days out aren’t just for the summer. Beach and hill walks in the autumn can be incredibly invigorating (once you’re all geared up), as can a picnic in Curragh Chase. Use that carved out pumpkin flesh to make some soup, fill up the thermos and head to your nearest woods. Younger children can try to find that elusive Gruffalo, while older ones can enjoy the basics of orienteering.
- Hotel breaks are expensive. A great alternative is to ‘house hop’ with friends in other counties. You head to them for an overnight stay and then they arrange to come to you. Costs are kept low, children will enjoy each other’s company and you get to catch up with friends who have existed only via text or Facebook for quite a while.
- Support local spots and events. A lot are free or relatively low cost and can introduce you to things on your doorstep that you never realised existed. King John’s Castle, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Art Gallery and the Hunt Museum are great places to spend a morning or afternoon. It makes learning fun and most will have some spooky-themed activities going on. Again, small children can let their imaginations run wild and some reluctant teenagers may even find their history projects brought to life. You’re out and together, that’s the important thing.
- Hallowe’en make and do. Sure, you can buy costumes and decorations but a morning spent on some DIY spiders, masks and capes is fun and creates memories.
- Take some space: Time off together can also be stressful. Maybe you’re used to breaks at work and your children are out of routine so beware of being on top of each other! As much as you value the time together, carving out some alone time is just as important during breaks (for you and your child).
There’s a lot going on for Halloween across Limerick City and County this year. For more information go to www.limerick.ie/halloween
This article was contributed a member of Parenting Limerick, a network of parenting and family support organisations. For more information on parenting and family support services in Limerick go to www.limerickservices.ie