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Holidays

  1. Surviving the School Holidays - Family Lives Top Tips

    Keeping the children amused through school holidays can fill many parents with dread, especially when things cost so much. Family Lives have come up with some top tips on keeping your children amused through the holidays.  


    • Find out about local days out - there is a lot out there for you. Check the websites of your local council and tourist information centres, local papers and community centres for what is happening in your area.
    • Make a list of your favourite childhood...
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  2. Top tips for surviving Christmas

    With Christmas around the corner, there isn’t a family who isn’t feeling some degree of stress or anxiety.  Whether it is the financial side of things or trying to meet everyone’s expectations, the planning can be really stressful.  Many families struggle with relaxing and actually enjoying the day because they may have set themselves up with too much to do.  

    It is not uncommon for families to enjoy the merriness of the Xmas period and you may do things you don’t normally do.  Over indulging in the “festive spirit” can sometimes cause conflicts and arguments.  It is important to monitor the alcohol intake and perhaps mix things up with soft drinks too.  Routines can also go out of the window as children are excited, this may be unsettling for them...

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  3. Travelling with children

    Excitement is in the air! The countdown to your holiday, be it a short weekend journey or a longer trip, has started. Yet, a little voice, at the back of your mind, keeps reminding you of the last time you got home after travelling with your children and you felt like you needed a holiday to recover from your holiday.

    Travelling with children, especially younger children, can be a stressful experience for parents. On the other hand, the change in environment and disruption to their routine can also make holidays a stressful period for children.

    There are, however, a few basic things that you can do to make travelling with your children an enjoyable experience with happy memories for all of you. It is good to remember that things will not always go as planned, because they...

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  4. School holidays for separated parents

    As school children count down to their well-earned break from school, it can be a difficult time for parents – particularly when they are bringing up children alone. Complicated childcare arrangements, financial pressures and trying to keep bored children occupied are issues faced by all parents, but for lone parents they are often magnified. Disagreements about where the children will spend time can flair up, underlying the fact that family life has changed and this is a painful process for children and adults.

    A quarter of British families are now headed by a single parent with 1.8 million mother and fathers raising their children single-handedly. At Family Lives we hear from thousands of lone parents each year and we have put together the following tips, for parents by...

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  5. Travelling with kids: make it fun

    Travelling with kids: make it fun

    Remember that every journey is different. There are, however, quite a few things that overlap whether you travel by air, car or train and every journey completed is practice and experience gained for your next journey. Spread the entertainment out, i.e. don’t give them all their toys at once! Otherwise you might run out of ideas within the first hour. It is also wise not to pack any special blankets and toys in your main suitcase – rather take it with you on your journey. Plan for travel sickness and have plastic bags, medication and a clean set of clothes handy. Also pack medication, such as child paracetamol, rehydration fluid and those mentioned for travel sickness, if you are unfamiliar with the local medicines. It also helps to think of journey as an adventure in itself, as...

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  6. Tackling summer childcare challenges

    Tackling summer childcare challenges

    The summer holidays are upon us - and chances are if you’re a working parent, you’ll be worrying over your childcare plans.

    According to research by the national childcare charity Daycare Trust, finding affordable childcare during the summer break is one of the biggest headaches for parents. Yet because of the lack of places and the high cost, most parents don’t actually organise their summer childcare until a few weeks beforehand. Hardly surprising, when full-time holiday childcare averages at about Ј90 per child per week. Even if the price doesn’t scare you off, there’s always a shortage of places – which means most of us end up taking unpaid leave and using most of our annual holiday entitlement to be with our kids, maybe supplemented by a bit of help here and there from...

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  7. Things to do when it's raining

    Top tips on indoor fun

    If they’re little…

    • Dig out the puzzles, games and books and give them a go, some good old-fashioned entertainment can be fun!
    • Make a cake together – they’ll enjoy being allowed to stir the ingredients, but expect some mess!
    • Check out your local library or learning centre, where there will be books and computers for your child to use, plus they often have reading groups for toddlers and parents.
    • Create a scrapbook together using photos from your family album. Give it a theme - it could be about anything they want, like school or the summer holidays.
    • Have a look inside your cupboards and play dress up with your old clothes. Sort through your clothes...
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  8. A parents' holiday diary

    A real-life account of what one parent did during the holidays

    Monday

    Took Brandon (my six year old) to Victoria Park, he loves it there, as there is loads of space for him to let off steam. After playing in the park, Brandon enjoyed feeding the ducks, then ate all his packed lunch, it turned out to be a good day out for him, plus it really didn’t cost much. Costs

    • Activity: Free
    • Travel: Free
    • Food: Homemade sandwiches, carton of juice, two oranges, and a shop-bought coffee for me - Ј1.73p

    Total for the day: Ј1.73p

    Tuesday

    Took Brandon to The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, he loves it there, what kid wouldn’t? Loads to do...

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  9. Summer Holidays

    As the school holidays approach and children across the nation get increasingly excited it can be a very different story for their stressed mums and dads. Complicated childcare arrangements, financial pressures and trying to keep bored children occupied during the long summer break can lead to many of you dreading the holidays.

    If you're bringing up your children alone or part of a separated family in disagreement over where children will spend their time, you can also find the holidays stressful and depressing, underlining the fact that the family has changed. In addition to this, you may feel guilty about the limited amount of time you have available with your children, or feel under pressure to take them on holidays or days out during the summer that you cannot afford. We've...

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  10. Travelling/holidays abroad

    If you or your ex wants to take the kids on holiday you may feel anxious, especially if the plan is to go abroad. Clear communication such as sharing information, lists of what’s needed, contact details and knowledge e.g. the children’s swimming ability or what sun factor they will need, will help put both parents at ease. Try to keep in touch whilst on holiday even if it’s a quick phone call or text.

  11. If you are thinking about taking your children away on holiday on your own, there are holiday companies who specialise in this, so check out the web or travel companies. There are also special insurance packages designed for holidaying lone parents and their children.

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