What a funny old half term it’s been. Here in Qatar it feels as though my boys have always been at their new school, whilst having barely been in this term.
They’ve been working on a 50% rota basis so are yet to spend a full week in school, it’s currently at every other day. With the joy of homeschooling the rest of the time.
And yet I can see that even 50% of school is doing them the world of good. My five year old’s, currently in year one, writing has improved beyond all recognition. My eight year old’s, year three, confidence in his abilities has come on bounds. It’s incredible to see the difference from when the schools shut back in March.
How they once again delight in learning, in their teachers, their classes.
And I long for the day they can go in full time. Be with their peers.
And I don’t have to fight them into home school.
The first half term is done
Now we’re nearly at the end of our break, one where we planned to go away but cannot as we can’t be sure that we’d be able to get back into Qatar to work and school, and I feel I have a chance to breathe again.
After a long week at home with them, when I questioned how we even survived the first weeks of lockdown all together, in the house, where the kids rubbed me up the wrong way, I rubbed them up the wrong way, and we were a far cry away from the happy halloween spookfest I was starting to see appear on my Facebook feed.
Finding ourselves
It’s been difficult finding a rhythm for us all.
For me, having time to write, to freelance and to be present. Something has had to give and that something was me.
The one thing that this half term holiday has shown me is the importance of me taking that time I need, to write, to work, to rest, to run. That time away makes me more present when we’re together.
The boys, they need time together without me helicopter parenting them. They need time on their own. Time with their friends. Independence. They need time with me, with my husband. As a family. On a one-on-one basis.
And mostly, they need to burn off the excess energy that months of uncertainty has brought. Bike riding. Swimming. Running around.
Because before I knew it the half term holiday is already over, and it’s back to school. Back to home school. Back to being both Mummy and a teacher.
But this next half term I’m determined it’s going to be different. I am making time for me while making sure THEY take time for them. And in doing so we can all be more present together.
Hopefully!
