School's about to resume for another year and we wouldn't be being honest if we didn't exhale loudly and appear a little relieved. The holidays are a double-edged sword; yes, it's lovely having the children home but six weeks is a long time to provide endless entertainment for a generation used to concepts such as self-entitlement and choice. For those who doubt this scientifically untested assertion I urge you to engage your child in a conversation about rights and privileges. When I attempted this with my then 10-year-old I was amused to discover that his idea of rights extended to endless screen-time, being able to stay up as long as he liked and various other eye-popping concepts that certainly aren't included in the United Nations manifesto.
When I informed him that his father and I were obliged only to feed, clothe and shelter him as well as provide him with access to education and medical and legal assistance should he require it, I was met with such utter disdain that needless to say there was an extended period of time out for both of us.
Of course, the school holidays are not all bad. Budget permitting, you can gauge how well behaved they can be when you take them somewhere which requires a certain level of social decorum, such as using a knife and fork properly, or asking for something using please and thank you in a voice that doesn't exceed normal decibel ratings. They even manage to be nice to each other sometimes, all of which makes the school holidays worth it in the end.
To celebrate the light at the end of the tunnel, why not treat them to a new pencil case for the start of the school year? You could even let them choose the material while at the same time letting them know that this is a privilege, not a right.
