Super nanny Olivia Worthington tells Maid Closer how not to struggle through the summer season.
As the summer sets in and the school bell rings the children who have just spent weeks weltering in the class room run out with glee, letting out a delightful squeal of excitement as they strip off their grass stained frilly socks and make lassos out of their schools ties that were beginning to feel more like nooses. The teachers gobble back their hard earned milk trays as they pop the top off a cold beverage... as they wind in to relax mode the nervous parents wait at the school gates their throats thickening and drops of perspiration gather on their foreheads as they brace themselves for a whole six week of chaos, costs and cleaning.
Childcare is extremely costly these days, but doing it yourself can amount to a pretty large sum also. It’s estimated that most families spend on average between £300- £450 extra pounds over the summer holiday period on children entertainment. But when the budget’s tight, how can children be entertained for free?
As a nanny I have become pretty savvy at creating cheap entertainment for children of a variety of different ages and I have realised that most activities can be adapted according to age and ability. In all honesty children are pretty simple, the one thing that they all crave in equal measure is attention.
On top of this they thrive when met with creativity and enthusiasm. So when dealing with children all you need to remember is to be ACE- attentive, creative and enthusiastic.
Yes they might just be walking along a wall, but meet this simple act with as much enthusiasm as they were walking along the great wall of china on their hands and this simple exercise will be enjoyed time and time again.
That leads me to the next tip about children. The best way to while away the hours is to keep them engaged in whatever activity they are doing for as long as possible.
Don’t simply tell them to colour, give them a task to keep them interested. Tell them to make a card, challenge them, for example if they can’t write then draw them dots and get them to join them up. This will keep them engaged in the task for longer and they will feel a great sense of achievement for completing something they couldn’t do before.
Children are extremely creative. The best way to entertain children is to think of their level.
Yes, to you and I a blanket draped over the back of two chairs is just making a mess which you will inevitably need to clean up later, but to a child it is a fortress to keeping out scary monsters, it is a haven for them to rule as Queen and princesses over the land, or to plot their next war against the Dragon Kingdom.
Schools out for summer.... GULP!