For most families, Easter is a time to get together, carry on family traditions, reflect and connect. It’s a break from the strenuous term-time routine and time to rest and be creative. However, for some parents, two weeks of school holidays and the pressure to live up to the ideal Easter break, can lead to stress.
Children’s routines and structures are often built around term-time to ensure children’s wellbeing with exact mealtimes and bedtime routines to balance rest, homework and extracurricular activities.
During the holidays, children often expect and look forward to changing routines, including relaxed or no screen time limits, bedtime, fun activities and connecting with friends. Parents also want to give their children a well-deserved break from school term routine and support fun holiday activities.
Easter break challenges for parents
The perfect holiday myth - the pressure to live up to the ideal Easter break, meeting everyone’s expectations and keeping children entertained, can leave parents feeling stressed. Parents can place unrealistic expectations on themselves to create special memories for everyone without taking into account how much time they actually have for everything and how much time is left for them, or other commitments such as work.
When routine disappears - challenges can arise when adapting to a holiday routine, as parents may debate whether to maintain similar rules, relax them slightly, or abandon them altogether. This can include decisions around screen time, bedtimes, junk food, sweets, and sleepovers. For most young people, a lack of routine and structure can lead to disrupted sleep and poor diet, resulting in irritability, isolation, and a general decline in mental health.
Financial pressure - alongside the emotional and logistical pressure, there is increased financial strain due to the cost of everything. Days out, Easter eggs, activity clubs, and the expectation of doing something memorable can add up quickly. Financial pressure to keep children happy and occupied over the school holidays can be a significant source of anxiety.
Everything in good measure – finding the right balance
Balance and moderation are key to a healthy, sustainable, and fulfilling life. Balance is even more important for children and young people’s stability and healthy development, which in turn reduces parental stress. Finding the right balance starts with setting realistic expectations for the Easter break, helping to prevent tensions and avoid disappointment when things don’t go exactly to plan.
Planning and sharing responsibility - planning holiday activities in advance helps everyone understand what to expect and what is expected of them in return. Talking openly as a family about plans and priorities can support a smoother, more enjoyable break.
It may also help to modify certain holiday traditions to make them more manageable. Assigning each family member a specific task can ease the pressure, with the understanding that things may be done differently than in previous years. Planning a budget for activities and any gifts in advance can also help manage expectations and reduce financial strain.
Having a flexible approach - agreeing a flexible routine with clear expectations can help strike the right balance between time to rest and time to be active, screen time and off-screen time, quiet time and opportunities for real connection
Focusing on what really matters - children are most likely to remember connection, time with loved ones, laughter and a sense of novelty. Many of the most effective mood-boosters are also free, whether that’s walking somewhere new, baking together, enjoying a film night with homemade popcorn, creating a scavenger hunt in the garden, or exploring a local park.
The Easter break can also be an opportunity to model positive values. Encouraging children to contribute, for example, by offering small rewards for additional chores, can help introduce the principle of giving and receiving and reinforce a sense of shared responsibility.
Recognising and preventing parental burnout
Parenting today occurs in a fast-paced and stimulus-filled world due to the digital environment, social media, and information overload, with potential negative impact on mental wellbeing. The parental role by nature demands continuous compliance, availability, and high-quality care for the children. Luckily, the positive aspects of parenting usually compensate and often outweigh the stressful aspects.
Parental burnout is a result of enduring exposure to chronic parenting stress. It is characterised by prolonged physical and mental exhaustion associated with the parental role and may be accompanied by emotional detachment from the child, overwhelming exhaustion, and even self-doubt regarding parental abilities as a nurturer.
For working parents, the pressure to meet expectations at home as well as in the workplace can be a constant source of stress. It is essential to recognise the early warning signs.
- Early recognition of stress - identify signs of stress early and note the stressful situation/s. It might be helpful to ask yourself how you feel emotionally and physically in response to the situation, what are your thoughts about it and what do you need to do to deal with the situation?
- Balance resources and demand - remember, parenting is one of the most energy-consuming and one of the most energy-giving activities, it both taxes and replenishes your emotional resources and empties and nourishes you.
- Self-care - incorporate into the family routine regular relaxation or mindfulness exercise practice.
- Make time - for leisure activities to mentally rejuvenate and relax.
- Movement - physical activities release endorphins and help regulate both sleep and anxiety.
- Rest - genuine rest without screen, whether it's half an hour with a book, a bath, or time to catch up with a friend. Protecting small pockets of downtime for yourself is not indulgent, it's necessary.
- Connection – make time for real connection with others. Isolation amplifies stress.
- Lower expectations - holidays are times for family get-togethers, connection, and enjoyment. Releasing the pressure on things to be ideal creates space for enjoying the experience.
Ask for help when needed. If you experience anxiety which feels unmanageable, speaking to a therapist can make a real difference. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the effective evidence-based recommended psychological therapy for common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.
Remember ,you need to ‘put the mask on yourself first’ to ensure your own mental and physical well-being in order to support others best.
By Babalwa Madikazi, Head of Children and Young People Psychological Therapies, Onebright
