For the first time, I plan to have no plans for my children this school holiday. This is why

After forty weeks of busy mornings, countless practice papers, various tests and exams, after-school sessions and training for co-curricular activities, not to mention extra Chinese lessons, the end-of-year holidays always bring the biggest sigh of relief.

No school! No lessons! No early mornings! No early nights! Just six weeks of blissful unstructured freedom (or eight, if you’re a parent of high schoolers).

But I have a confession: as a Type A mom, not having a plan for the school holidays puts my anxiety into high gear.

Every year, during the twelve weeks that the children are out of school, I always feel like it is my responsibility to make the most of every minute. The thought of ‘wasting’ time feels unbearable.

Plus, social media is a constant reminder that I only have 18 years to take it all in. I shudder every time I come across that popular internet idea that 75 percent of all the time I will ever spend with my children will be. get up by the time they turn twelve.

With my oldest turning 12 next year, each holiday season feels more precious than the last.

That’s the million dollar question for me and many other parents: what do we do with our kids during the school holidays?

BUSY HOLIDAYS TAKEN OVER BY BUSY LIFE

Before my older children started primary school, I was determined to keep them actively involved throughout the holidays.

I planned and packed every day to the gills: park and beach visits, vacation camps, trips to museums, the zoo, aquarium, science center, water parks and theme parks, and any other attractions I could find. I scoured the internet for the latest activities and tried to pull them out as often as possible.