Get Your Family Summer Ready: An Intentional Pause in Time for the Holidays
I can’t be the only one who feels time speed up as the end of the year approaches.
There are teacher gifts to organise, pressing work deadlines, end-of-year concerts, endless loose ends to tie up, and the general scramble to just get to the finish line.
Your brain is juggling so much that the idea of the holidays approaching can feel strangely… contradictory.
On the one hand, you’re craving a break — from the rushing, the demands, and the weight of the day-to-day routine.
On the other, you know that school holidays often mean even more work for you. More planning. More snacks. More mess. Less predictable pockets of rest.
It’s a weird tension for parents — school holidays somehow invite both relief and dread.
You look forward to quality time together, yet you know that often comes with more meltdowns, whining, and opportunities for sibling squabbles.
Before the long summer stretch begins, here’s an invitation — not to add more tasks to your plate — but to simply pause and consider the chapter you’re about to step into.
A little intention-setting now can shift how the whole season unfolds.
Press Pause: Why Summer Deserves a Moment of Intention
Summer holidays aren’t automatically easy and restful.
Often, they amplify both the joy and the stress.
Kids are suddenly home. Routines loosen. Structure fades.
Parents still have their day-to-day responsibilities — plus an ambitious list of life admin and home maintenance tasks that have sat on the backburner all year.
And with school holidays, comes the additional mental load of planning the day-to-day – who is going where when? Juggling competing preferences and perhaps battling that niggling pressure to make the holidays “special”.
But when we take a moment to breathe and reflect, before we dive into holidays, it can make all the difference.
That’s how we shape the tone of the summer ahead.
Choose Your Summer Intention (Just One or Two)
Rather than reacting to the holidays as they unfold, take this opportunity to choose one or two gentle intentions to guide the season.
Think of these as anchors — something to return to when everything feels messy.
Common ones might be:
Ease
Connection
Fun
Slowing down
Being more present
Letting go of the pressure to “do it all”
You’re not setting resolutions.
You’re setting a direction – for yourself and your family.
Translate Your Intention Into Manageable Micro-Goals
Parents often overestimate what’s realistic for a long break — then feel guilty when they can’t keep up.
To avoid the trap of an over-ambitious list, divide your summer ideas into two simple categories:
Must-Haves (the essentials for your wellbeing or your family’s rhythm)
Examples:
A simple weekly family outing (local park, beach, library)
A quiet time ritual – like a reading party (where each family member drops everything and reads)
A screen-time structure that keeps the peace and minimises the battles
A nightly phone reminder to consider plans for the next day
A few blocks of protected work time if you’re working through the holidays
Like-to-Haves (the nice extras, if the stars align)
Examples:
A day trip to somewhere new
Trying a new hobby or creative project
Trying a new boardgame
Trying a new recipe
Teaching kids a new life skill
Tackling a household project
Hosting friends for a BBQ
By naming the difference, you release yourself from the silent pressure that every idea has to be achieved.
“Like-to-haves” become possibilities, not obligations.
Create a Family Holiday Wish List
Instead of carrying the mental load of planning the entire summer, get your kids involved.
Sit down together and make a “Summer Wish List,” with everyone contributing ideas.
This might include:
Places to explore
Games to play
Books to read
Foods to cook
Projects to try
Ways to relax
Friends/relatives to see
Not everything will happen — and that’s okay. In fact, this process creates a natural opportunity to teach your kids about prioritising — and the reality that, more often than not, we can’t do it all.
Co-creating the list helps create shared expectations and a sense of collaboration. After all, kids are far more invested in plans they helped create.
Plus, it takes pressure off you as the default entertainment coordinator!
Create a Calendar with Touchpoints Along the Way
During holiday time, the basics of keeping track of what day it is can feel like a challenge. A visual calendar can be one great tool to help communicate the holiday plan – and don’t forget to get the kids involved in creating it too.
Then, along the way, set up weekly check-ins to help provide a basic structure to support the summer rhythm.
This could look like:
Reconnecting with your summer intention
Looking at the week ahead
Choosing 1–2 “must-haves” to honour
Adding 1–2 “like-to-haves” if there’s space
Checking in with each family member’s feelings, needs and hopes for the week ahead.
These tiny check-ins help keep the family on track and allow you to problem-solve any hiccups – before the overwhelm builds.
Your efforts to sprinkle a little structure and intention can go a long way to creating a rejuvenating summer break for the whole family.
Feeling Overwhelmed About the Holidays? You’re Not Alone.
If you’d like support setting your family up for a calmer, more connected summer — or you’re ready to think about how parenting could feel different in the year ahead — I’m here to help.
👉 Book a free 15-minute call to see if parent coaching might be your next best step.
