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Did you know that summer holidays top the bill as the most stressful experience for mums, over and above household bills, going to the dentist, and even buying a house?
Our poll of 2000 UK mums found that w/c 22nd August, week five of the school summer holidays, is the point at which parents are most likely to be at their wits end. With Wednesday 24th August, a.k.a #WornOutWednesday being the day that exhaustion and stress levels peak for parents.
Small acts of kindness topped the list of things that would spark happiness and make mums smile during the stressful summer holidays so, we're offering 10% off our selection of our specially curated Summer Blooms for Blues bouquets so you can send a little happiness to a parent-in-need with code: BLOOMS4BLUES
We've also partnered with the hilariously funny mummy influencer Victoria Emes to launch our 'Summer Blues Hotline' where between Monday 22nd to Sunday 28th August, parents-in-need can dial the freephone hotline on 0800 102 6997 whenever they need a dose of comic relief. 30 callers chosen at random will even receive a free #BloomsforBlues bouquet.
Dr Catherine Wikholm
Jokes aside, psychologist and mother, Dr Catherine Wikholm, has given us her top tips to survive summer holiday blues:
Spending time in nature is proven to improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and help you feel more relaxed. Plus, it gives the kids a chance to run around and burn off some energy. Aim to get outside for a couple of hours in the morning and reap the benefits for the rest of the day.
Deciding ahead of time what you will do with the kids each day can help to reduce stress by enabling an increased sense of structure to the summer holidays. Having some fun activities already planned for a week or two ahead can also help ease any mum guilt that might rear its head over having the odd 'boring' day, or afternoon of screen-time in the meantime. Letting kids know about the planned activities also allows them to experience a sense of positive, which can boost feelings of happiness and excitement in the present.
When you notice your emotions getting the better of you and you're not parenting how you would like to be, this is where the 'do-over' can really save the day. Just stop and breathe, so you can feel calmer. Secondly, apologise and offer a hug. This reconnects you and your child. Thirdly, suggest the do-over. Start the activity or task again, and this time, you and your child play it out differently, in a calmer, more connected way, as you would have wanted it to go.
At the end of a tough day with the kids, it's easy to fall into a negative state of mind and write the whole thing off as a 'bad day'. To counteract this, try to intentionally notice the positives of each day - any sweet moments or small acts of kindness.
Try to ensure that you take some time for yourself at the end of each day to wind down and relax. This should be seen as something essential rather than a luxury. Relaxation and down-time isn't something indulgent - it is necessary.
Remind yourself that on social media you're mostly only seeing other people's highlight reel. You're not seeing the mundane daily battles about getting shoes on, kids bickering or complaining they are bored, and the everyday mess and mayhem that is a normal part of family life.
Arranging playdates is a great way of meeting your kids' social needs AND your own. They get to have fun with friends, the pressure is off you to be their source of entertainment, and you get to have some adult conversation - it's a win-win.
Perfect parents don't exist and setting the bar so high will only lead to inevitable feelings of failure, stress and anxiety. Take the pressure off by letting go of unrealistic perfection, and instead aim for 'good enough' parenting. It's OK if we aren't ready and able to fully meet all our children's needs 100% of the time. In fact, learning to tolerate minor disappointments and frustrations can be helpful for children in terms of giving them opportunity to build their resilience, problem solving skills and independence.
Physical health and mental health are interrelated - so if we want to be able to cope with stress as well as we can over the summer holidays, we need to ensure we look after our physical health. This might look like ensuring that we are eating well, staying hydrated, being physically active, and prioritising sleep where we can. When we are caring for kids day in day out, it is easy for our own needs to slip to the bottom of the pile or become ignored, which can contribute to feelings of stress, frustration and exhaustion.
Laughter can bring a host of psychological benefits including improving mood, reducing stress and increasing our sense of connectedness to others. While parenting can of course be stressful, being around the antics of young kids can also provide a lot of opportunity for laughter and silliness, so let yourself fully embrace the funny or ridiculous moments of parenting when they happen. Watching or listening to comedy can also be great for some light-hearted stress relief after the kids are in bed.
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