Making the Most of the School Holidays: It’s Okay to Put School Down for a While

Teachers need the break. Kids need the break. And parents advocating for their children need the break too.

By the time we reach the end of Term 3, most parents I speak to are tired.

Maybe you've spent the term going to meetings, following up emails, trying to understand what's happening in the classroom or wondering whether your child's support is actually working. Maybe things are going really well and you're simply ready for a break from school lunches, uniforms and getting everyone out the door on time. Or maybe you're heading into the holidays knowing that something needs to change.

That last one can be particularly hard to put down.

When you know there's an unresolved issue at school, it can feel like you should be doing something. Researching. Planning. Writing emails. Working out what you're going to say next term.

But here's the thing: Nothing is happening at school during the school holidays.

You can spend two weeks thinking about the problem, but you probably can't actually resolve it until school goes back. So, as much as possible, I think there's value in giving yourself permission to put the school stuff down.

Before you switch off, get it out of your head

Term 4 is an important term.

It's the final term of the school year. Transitions are coming. End-of-year activities start creeping into the calendar and, as anyone who has spent time in a school knows, the regular schedule can start going out the window as the end of the year gets closer. If there are important supports your child needs, you want to know that they're in place and working.

So before the holidays begin, spend a little time capturing what you need to come back to.

You might write down:

• What's currently working well?

• What am I still concerned about?

• Is there anything in my child's learning plan I need to revisit?

• What is the main thing I want to address in Term 4?

• Do I need to organise a meeting or conversation early next term?

If you know you need to speak with your child's teacher, you might even organise a meeting for Week 1 before the term finishes.

Or write the email now. You don't necessarily need to send it now. Draft it, schedule it for the beginning of Term 4 if appropriate, and get it out of your head.

Set it up. Write it down. Then park it.

You might not be able to completely switch off

I also know that saying “just forget about it for two weeks” isn't realistic for every family.

When you're parenting a child with a disability or additional needs, school holidays don't necessarily mean the things you're carrying disappear. Sometimes they just change.

The routines and supports that exist during the school term aren't there. Your child may find the change in routine difficult. There might be appointments to manage, different care arrangements or completely different challenges that come with having everyone at home. And if the previous term has been particularly difficult, you may still be carrying a lot of worry about what happens when school goes back.

You don't need to force yourself to completely switch off. But perhaps you can put the school part to one side. The school isn't going anywhere. The plan will still be there. The email can wait. The meeting can happen next term. Sometimes writing down what needs to happen next is enough to give your brain permission to stop trying to hold onto all of it.

Our kids need the break too

I see this with my own kids. They really need school holidays. It takes them a few days to reset after a school term, and I notice the difference when we can finally slow everything down.

I value the slower mornings. No rushing to get everyone dressed in school uniform. No watching the clock while we're trying to get out the door. No school-day demands constantly pushing us towards the next thing. Just a different pace.

For children who have spent an entire term managing the demands of school, that space can be particularly important.

They might have been concentrating all day, navigating friendships, managing sensory environments, coping with transitions, masking, regulating their emotions or simply working incredibly hard to meet expectations that don't always come easily to them.

Sometimes what they need most during the holidays isn't another strategy. It's rest. And sometimes we need that too.

Rest isn't ignoring the problem

Taking a break from school advocacy doesn't mean you've stopped advocating for your child. It doesn't mean the issues suddenly don't matter. And it doesn't mean you won't pick them back up. You're simply recognising that you don't have to carry everything at full intensity all of the time.

If there's something important that needs addressing, capture it now. Read the learning plan if that's going to help you feel prepared. Write your list. Draft the email. Book the meeting for next term.

Then, as much as you can, let it sit.

Enjoy the slower mornings. Give your child some time to reset. Give yourself some time to reset too. Because Term 4 will come soon enough. And when it does, you can pick the school stuff back up again.

When you're ready to think about school again

If you do want some support getting ready for Term 4, you don't have to start from scratch.

My EmpowerEd Resource Library includes practical guides to help with school adjustments, learning plans, emails and school conversations, so you can choose the support that matches what you're navigating.

But for now? Write down what you need to remember. Then go and have a break.