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The summer holidays are now officially upon us.

Do you breathe a sigh of relief? The kids can lie in and relax, leaving the mornings panic free for now. Or, do you quietly dread the thought of six weeks with no structure?

Many children with special educational needs find the end of the school year to be a double edged sword. Instead of slipping into a well deserved break, they may be preoccupied with worries about the start of the new year, and coping with new teachers.

For families with SEND children, the summer holidays may not simply provide respite and space to relax. For many, the summer can bring a whole host of challenges.

Look for opportunities to plan and establish a routine at home

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Many children with SEND prefer routine and predictability, so a six week break can feel intimidating.

Try to protect certain routines in their day that your child can depend on, such as:

A morning activity that they like, such as reading their favourite book.
A preferred mid morning snack
A regular walk or activity of their choice
Bedtime routines

It is worthwhile talking this through with your child before the summer starts so that they can be a part of planning their day. Familiar routines provide an anchor during the summer holidays, and can help reduce overwhelm. Allowing your child to decide which routines are important to them will give them a sense of agency.

Mindfulness - the art and discipline of living in the present moment

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The simple purpose of mindfulness is to slow down and connect to yourself, so that you can move calmly through life.

How to engage in a mindfulness activity?

Find a safe space
Close your eyes
Concentrate on your breathing
Simply notice your breath as you inhale and exhale.

The benefit of spending even 5 minutes on a mindful activity, such as breathing, is you will lower your blood pressure and reduce cortisol levels, which are your body’s stress hormones. Wellbeing is increased, and anxiety and depression decreased.

Mindful activities bring us back to the idea that life is a series of fleeting present moments. When we put our energy into the present moment, we are giving less attention to anxiety about future events that we cannot control.

Build in time for calm and decompression

Try to ensure you have some agreed “time out” moments in the day. Children with SEND require consistency when it comes to having time and space to reset, when they need to. This way your child can be helped to stay regulated.

Chat to your child to find out what a good “time out” looks like for them. Asking open ended questions such as “how do you stay calm in moments of stress?” will help your child think about what they need to regulate.

Giving your child permission to retreat to their chosen time out activity will help to prevent any meltdowns from the stimulation that comes from lots of changes to routine.

The added benefit of talking to your child about taking brain breaks is you are educating them about the fact that we all have nervous systems that need to be re-balanced. You are letting them know that taking short breaks helps to build a strong robust brain.

The importance of self care for parents

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Many parents are looking after a child with additional needs, along with other children. They may also be juggling a job and the responsibilities of caring for an elderly parent.

Make sure you take time to look after yourself. This might be spending time with friends that make you feel good and energised. It might be spending time alone. Whatever the activity, prioritise some time for you, as this will help prevent you from getting stressed out.

The importance of a healthy diet and exercise

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It can be hard to provide regular healthy meals during a long holiday. Preparing food can seem daunting and time consuming.

Try to involve your child when preparing healthy snacks. It can be very simple such as hummus and cutting up veggie fingers.

Exercise too, helps children and parents stay regulated. Taking a daily brisk walk or swim will release endorphins and serotonin, the hormones that produce a feeling of well being.

Knowing when to seek help

If your child’s anxieties or worries about the changes to the routine are causing them significant distress, there are organisations that you can contact for support around self-care.

Young Minds have a parent support line that is open Monday to Friday.

You can also contact us at BrightTeach on: 01273 033 243 / send@brightteach.com