End of the School Year: A Reflection Time for Parents
The school year is winding down for your children. Soon they will have a long holiday, to be spent mostly with you (especially if they are young), or doing activities arranged by you or chosen by them (teenagers’ social lives are so busy!). What was the school year like for you?
The start of the holidays can be a very busy time as full-time child care begins. If you have time, it can be helpful for next year to pause and take stock of the academic year with some reflection.
First, we suggest a look back at this school year’s successes. Just getting to the end of the school year is a massive win in many cases; congratulations! Here are some reflection questions that could be useful for a coffee chat with your spouse, a family meal time, or solo journalling.
What were the highlights of this school year?
What was your child most proud of this year? What were you most proud of as a parent?
Which relationships at school did you build?
Which people at school were most valuable to your child’s progress?
What did you do well in supporting your child at school this year?
A visit to an elephant sanctuary. (The children’s faces have been anonymised for privacy.)
Next, it’s time to think about family time for the long holiday. It’s exciting to have extended time with your child after the school year ends. But also the length of the holiday can be daunting. How can you keep the kids engaged and happy for such a long time? You may not have a break from childcare during this time, which can make it tiring for you.
Having some ideas ahead of time can help. Maybe you want to print off a calendar/bingo board of possible holiday activities (like this one) or maybe you want to create a list by yourself or together with your child.
One mum who is our coaching client says she plans one activity outside the home and one activity at home for each weekday of the holidays. What sort of schedule and activities would refresh both you and your child? Which people would you like to spend time with and what support can others offer during the long holiday?
For the children, a long holiday can become indulgent after a while. They may expect all the treats, all the time. What options are there for you and your child to serve others? Or to enjoy activities that focus on others? Here’s a list of family volunteering opportunities at charities in Singapore.
How will you balance your own time and energy during the long holiday? Perhaps you can also plan some opportunities for personal, adult time with the support of family, friends, or structured activities.
Finally, we suggest thinking ahead to the start of the next school year.
How do you want to feel as the next school year starts?
What do you want to continue from this school year into the next?
Which new and existing relationships would you like to invest in?
A few notes about this now can make the start of school more intentional and purposeful.
What would be your advice to other parents to reflect on the school year as it ends? Get in touch with us to share your ideas. Cheers to another successful school year completed and all the best for the holiday!
P.S. We also wrote an end of school year post for educators. Check it out here.
