School's out for Summer

Everywhere around the country, schools are finishing for the long, lazy summer holidays. Children are excited, parents are worrying about childcare and the summer seems to go on and on.

In my old job, I only worked term time so every July, when all the kids had broken up, we would have an end on term party. Mainly involving loads of ice cream, the older two were bouncing about everywhere, while the young Kieron would be bemused at what all the fuss was about as he hadn't even started school.

Once he got older (and I worked every week), Kieron would run out of school, making arrangements to see his mates within the next few days. Once home, he would refuse to change out of his school uniform. explaining that I didn't have to hurry to get it ready for school and as it would probably be going in the bin anyway, I didn't argue.

Beach days would be planned while emptying out his backpack. Precious things like drawings would be given to me with a 'you can have it' comment and not so important stuff like school books, would be treasured by me and kept safely to look through once he was adult, so that I could reminisce on the 'good old days'.

Late nights would slowly become normal with cries of 'but it's the holidays' and I would remind him that I had work the next day. Childcare became part of Jade's day and annual leave was juggled throughout the holidays. Every sunny day was either spent in the garden or on the beach, with home time happening when the food ran out. The car was sandy, my house was sandy, the days were good.

I still have Kieron's school books and I read through his work, only he is still 10 and will never be an adult.