Counsellor's Corner

Here's how to have a happier holiday . . .

This time of year can bring a weird mix of exhaustion, relief, restlessness and a sense of overload for students, parents and staff. Everyone is running on low battery by the final week of term, and the idea of ‘holidays’ doesn’t always mean things slow down straight away.

Some kids are excited. Others are anxious. Some will miss the structure of school. Some are craving connection, even if they don’t know how to ask for it. There is no one right way to do the school holidays.

If there’s one thing I hope you can hold onto over the break, it’s permission to let go of the pressure to make it perfect. You don’t need to have all the plans. You don’t need to fill every day with something productive or enriching. Sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer ourselves or our kids is a bit of unstructured time, and the chance to reset.

A few small things that can help:

• A no-screens morning or afternoon every now and then
• Getting outside, even if it’s just a walk around the block
• One-on-one time, even if it’s five minutes of presence without distraction
• Creating space for rest without needing to fix or force anything

Next term I will be available as always to support your young person if needed. But for now, I hope the break brings your family some ease, connection and rest — whatever that looks like for you.

Take care,

Mrs Ebony Kriedemann

School Counsellor