There's no judgement here; the break can be difficult enough with all the gift buying, food shopping, cooking, relatives, family, travel let alone a bundle of hormones in the shape of your teenager(s) inhaling the kitchen pantry in a 30 second walk-by!
Pity those amongst us who are sharing the summer holidays with a teenager for the first time! Last December they may have had little kids who had just finished Primary School and were making plans with their friends for playdates, and this year those kids are hibernating until 11am, completely grown out of their summer clothes from last year and they smell funny! Not to worry, like everyone else, teenagers have their moments - good and bad, and it's always good to have a few strategies in your back pocket.
Meet Barbara - she's got two teenaged girls and a good bunch of tips to go with them - and at the very least you'll get a good laugh out of her.
Remember you are not a Cruise Ship Social Director named Julie; kids are allowed to be bored...but if they're really driving you crackers - here's 100 school holiday activities for teenagers! You're welcome.
Take a note out of their book and tune the kids out listening to this podcast...but get your own earphones or you'll never hear the end of it...(plus eew)!
If you're very lucky to be travelling overseas, make sure you get your moneys worth by reading this article from Traveller .com.au first so you don't come back regretful and scarred for life.
The school break can be particularly difficult if you are, or have become a solo parent; this pragmatic article might help make that experience less traumatic.
You'll certainly be pleased to know that worrying about our kids is a world wide epidemic - this article from the Irish Examiner talks about the dread parents have when they have to leave the teens home so they can work during the break...see? It's not just us.
Hopefully there's something in there that can help your 'downtime' (hahaha) with your kids be, at the very least, pleasant. Seriously though, If you have worries about your children and need some help, or just someone to talk to, Parentline is a free confidential service that is there to support us at any point as we raise our children. You can call Parentline between 9am and 5pm on 6287 3833.
Stay safe, people and stay sane...and remember one day we'll sit with our grown-up children and laugh and laugh....right? Right!