Six-week holiday 'boredom is not a bad thing'
Nadia McSheffreyA children's specialist has said her message to parents is "boredom is not a bad thing" during the six-week summer holidays.
Educational consultant Nadia McSheffrey, who works with families and schools across the North East, said many parents struggled with increased financial pressure when their children were off school.
In communities such as Byker and Walker in Newcastle, or Hendon and Pennywell in Sunderland, she said families she works with "are already trying to stretch very tight budgets" and could not afford extra activities.
The mother-of-one said: "Boredom is not a bad thing, we spend so much time trying to fill every minute that we forget boredom is often where creativity begins."
McSheffrey suggested children who were "really struggling" with boredom could be offered "open-ended activities" such as giving them pens and paper or a bucket and spade.
"Very often, if we resist fixing it, children will create something all by themselves," she said.
She also said it was important to acknowledge the holidays could be a "big transition" away from the routine and structure of school life, and encouraged parents to ask their children about how they are feeling.
"When children feel understood, it helps them more than when we try to fix their feelings," she said.
Getting outdoors
McSheffrey said parents who relied on free school meals were also faced with finding the money for an additional meal every weekday, as well as paying for childcare if they had to work.
However, she suggested getting outdoors as a low-cost solution to finding summer activities.
"The North East is one of the best places to raise children in nature; we have the incredible coastline, countryside, and a rich history and heritage within easy reach," she said.
"Spending time in nature is one of the simplest ways to support children's wellbeing without spending lots of money."
However, she also said parents should "be kind to themselves".
"I don't think children measure love by the number of trips out, they measure it in those little moments - reading before bed, chatting over tea - don't put pressure on yourself to create a perfect summer," she said.
