**Before the School Bell Breaks the Spell**

  **Before the School Bell Breaks the Spell**

### *As the summer break winds down, perhaps we should remember that children aren't the only ones wishing it would last a little longer.*

Do you remember those last few days of the summer holidays when we were at school? We looked at the calendar and wished someone would give us another week. Just a few more days of sleeping late, playing with friends, visiting grandparents and staying up without worrying about the alarm clock.

I remember that feeling. Perhaps you do too.

But here is the funny thing. Now that we are adults, perhaps we haven’t changed as much as we think.

Children may be looking at the calendar and thinking, *“I wish we had another week of holidays.”* Parents might quietly be thinking exactly the same thing.

No early morning rush. No frantic calls to get children out of bed, no searching for the missing school shoe, no hurried breakfast while someone is asking where the water bottle has gone. No traffic, no school drop-off and no trying to get everyone out of the house on time.

And perhaps there are teachers preparing to return to school who are thinking, *“You know what? Another week wouldn’t be so bad.”* They too have had a busy year. Another slow morning and a cup of coffee without looking at the clock might be welcome.

So the end of the summer break is not something only children have to adjust to. Parents and teachers are making the transition too.

When we were children, our holidays were different. We played outside, rode bicycles, met friends and somehow managed to fill an entire afternoon.

We also had holiday homework.

I can still remember the question that would eventually come from a parent: *“Have you finished your homework?”* We would say yes, promise to do it later and hope the subject disappeared.

But we also had time when nobody expected us to achieve anything. We played, talked, visited relatives, read a little and sometimes simply got bored.

Perhaps children need some of that space today too.

We have become very good at filling their time with classes, camps, sports, activities and screens. Even holidays can become surprisingly busy. A proper break from school is not wasted time. They need time with family, time to travel, make memories and simply be themselves.

The difficult part comes when that easy holiday rhythm gives way to the school routine.

Late nights become early mornings. Breakfast has to happen at a particular time. Suddenly everyone is expected to be awake and organised before the sun has properly joined the day.

We know the feeling ourselves. After a long break, returning to work isn’t always greeted with enthusiasm. We switch on the computer, see the emails waiting and wonder whether another week would have been better.

So perhaps we can give children the same understanding we give ourselves.

Bedtimes can move gradually towards normal, mornings can become a little earlier and screen time can be reduced without making the house feel like a prison.

And perhaps we can talk about school differently.

Instead of saying, *“The holidays are nearly over. Time to get serious,”* ask, *“What are you looking forward to when you go back?”*

Which friends will they see? Which teacher did they enjoy? Is there a new subject, sport or activity they are curious about?

It changes the conversation. School becomes something to look forward to.

Schools can help too. Teachers remember what the first day feels like because many of them were once the children wishing for another week.

The first few days don’t have to be an academic assault. They have travelled, visited family, played and explored. The child who went overseas has a story; so does the child who stayed in Dubai.

Let them talk, reconnect with friends and find their rhythm again.

Before long, the uniforms will be hanging by the door, the bags will be packed and the alarm clock will once again become the most unpopular member of the household.

There will be sleepy children, tired parents, forgotten books and probably a dramatic declaration of *“I don’t want to go to school.”*

And somewhere in the middle of all this, a parent will quietly think, *“I wish the holidays were another week longer.”*

A teacher might think it too.

And the child certainly will.

Perhaps that is what makes the end of the summer break universal. We grow older and change roles, but some feelings from childhood stay with us.

We may become parents and teachers, but that child is still somewhere inside us.

The school bell is coming.

But for now, there is still time.

Enjoy the holidays.

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