The $2 Hack That Might Just Stop Your Kids Driving You Crazy These School Holidays

I don’t know about your family, but the foray into ‘distance learning’ has been a difficult one for mine. Initially, I was worried about how all these kids were going to cope with the transition to online learning. Turns out, they’ve adjusted a lot better than I have. Needless to say, tension in this household is at an all time high and the thought of two weeks of school holidays… well, I for one, am not looking forward to it.

At the best of times, school holidays can bring you to breaking point, and you’re not alone. Research suggests that 4 in 10 parents find school holidays to be “one of the most stressful times of the year”. I hear you. But the need to practice responsible social distancing measure, means that shipping the kids of to their grandparents or sending them to the movies for a little bit of peace and quiet is not an option. Which is why this $2 hack (well $1.68 to be exact) might just stop your kids from driving you crazy and give you a few hours of me-time.

With 2020 bring a new era of kids who have more zoom conference calls that their parents, getting your kids off their screens has never been more difficult. That coupled with social distancing measures, makes getting some fresh air vital to keeping you sane. Enter the snow pea.

Now hear me out. I get it. Peas definitely aren’t every kids first choice when it comes to snacks, there’s almost always a few stray ones left on the plate. But there is something about snow peas that kids just love!

Snow peas are cute and deliciously sweet, but best of all, they are super easy to grow. It is best to plant snow peas March-May for a winter crop. Snow peas like to be planted in a sunny spot with light shade and they don’t like frost all that much. Other than that, they are super easy to look after which makes them the perfect choice for a holiday project.

No pots? No worries. This super simple DIY will get you there (you can even get your kids to add some drawings to them!)

Whether you have a big backyard or a small balcony or window, this is the perfect school holiday activity for you. Other veggies like raddishes and carrot could be great options as well if you can’t get your hands on any snow peas.

Now what on earth does this have to do with education? You are a tutoring company right?

We sure are and I am definitely not the most green-thumbed person you’ll ever meet. But after tutoring hundreds of kids from all walks of life, there are always a few stories that never fail to put a smile on your face and right now, I think we could all benefit from that. One story in particular was from these two primary kids we taught English and Math to.

Over the summer holidays, in en effort to get their kids off their screens these kids were “forced” (their words, not mine) to spend some time outside gardening. As you can imagine from that recount of events, I didn’t really imagine that it was an overly enjoyable experience for anyone involved. But a few weeks passed and these little corn seedlings start to come up. Over the course of the next three months, I was almost always greeted with an ‘exciting’ update on how these little corn seedlings were going. Now don’t get me wrong, the “giant corn tree that is bigger than the house” was not quite as large in real life, and I don’t think that they ever managed to grow a corn from those seeds, but the amount of excitement and joy that those two kids got from a packet of corn seeds is something I won’t ever forget.

With families spending a lot more time at home together, now might be the perfect time for you to embark on a little home garden. Not only will it give your kids something to focus on (and get you five minutes of peace while you tell them to go water them every day) but it will also get them out of the house into some fresh air.

A2Z Tutoring is a leading provider of in-home and online tutoring services in the Sydney area. Our tutors are some of the brightest young minds in Sydney with 90+ ATARs and Band 6 results in the subjects they teach. As a company our mission is and always will be, to make tutoring and education more accessible, affordable and effective for your child. Get in touch with us today to find out how our services can help assist your child excel in their results.