What is it about?

The rollercoaster adventures of parenting three kids, dealing with disability and mental health - and discussing disability discrimination and how to tackle it.

Friday 5 December 2008

Holiday

It's hot. About 32 degrees.

The pool is warm. We have new swimmers and rashies, ready for the season.

There are mangoes and strawberries in the fridge, and icy poles in the freezer.

We bought a large box of sunscreen and pulled the hats out of the drawer.

The Christmas shopping is done (only wrapping left).

And most importantly, school's out.

7 long weeks of Summer Holdiay!

The kids need it...

Mum will survive it...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know most of us love the thought of holidays, of carefree days, a break from the daily grind.

But could Beaver be stressed about the break from his routine, holidays are up there as one of the top 'stressors' to much of the population.

Holidays, while divine to some of us, to an anxious child could mean a loss of their comfort zone, the idea of moving to a new 'year' for school and knowing they will get new work they don't yet know how to do could be a cause of anxiety.

it's just a partly considered thought I had - I know plenty of people who find the concept or thought of holidays stressful. They generally love them once they go, but hate the anticipation.
cheers
Gina

Heike Fabig said...

Yes. And no.
Beaver definately prefers to go to school. School has a very predicatble routine, leaving little space for anxiety. Also, he loves going and finds it a very safe place to be.
Yet school also confronts him with his difference. The kids in his class are ahead with everthing, and he is acutely aware of that.
So he needs a holdiay to relax, to just be himself. Yet i have to come up with a programe so he knows what's happening. And finding things to do with 3 kids with very different (access) needs and interests is not easy. If i didn't have our lovely Jess I couldn't even physically manage to do most things on my own. Our own pool in the backyard is hard to juggle with Boo Boo and Beaver needing physical help (Boo Boo needs to be held or put in a secure chair poolside which she hates and she lets the whole street know...), and i worry what would happen if there is an emergency... Why isn't society organised so school holidays mean holidays for dads too? It p*@@^s me off big time that women largely have to carry the can on holidays. But that's another rant for another time....

Anonymous said...

You've made me homesick with the memories of long hot days spent in your pool! Strawberries and mangoes in the fridge sound good too... I was looking for something in W's drawers the other day and found his rashie - not much use for it here (-3C at the moment!).

I need to write to you properly about the anxiety thing too - do you remember W was having these issues last year? He really enjoyed seeing the child psych, too!

Lots of love to you all - I constantly check the blog and and am always thinking of you.

Elizabeth xx.

Shannon said...

Well, its -7C right now and we have a few inches of snow.
I have not really begun to prep for Christmas.
Both of my kids are sick again.
I do hate winter.

I really wish we had 7 weeks (warm weeks) off right now : ) I hope this is a wonderful break for all of you!