Issue 1: Screens, Screaming & Sanity: We Survived (Just)

July 18, 2025|Gill Townsend

Real Talk from a Mum Who Loved the School Holidays… and Also Didn’t

I love my kids.
I also love silence.

Unfortunately, those two things rarely coexist during school holidays.

For two weeks, our house echoed with:

NRL card negotiations so tense they could’ve been televised
Screen-time arguments that made me question all my life choices
Endless snack requests (how can they be hungry again?)
The occasional threat of a Monopoly-induced family meltdown

And yet — somehow — we made it through.

The (Real) School Holiday Survival Kit

Here’s what actually kept us going (and no, it wasn’t Pinterest-perfect crafts every day):

An 8-hour Monopoly marathon — yes, really.
Ten pin bowling — a controlled environment for chaos.
Multiple trips to Rebel for those elusive collector cards.
Lunches with friends — because mums need adult conversation.
Flip Out — trampoline = exhausted kids = 10/10 strategy.
Intentionally empty days — because boredom sparks creativity.

And if you’re a creative mum who squeezes in some design time between snack runs, I’ve shared my go-to design resources in Where I Get My Fonts, Mockups & Design Tools (Without Spending a Fortune) — because sometimes mum sanity looks like making something just for you.

Did I plan a full calendar of educational, screen-free activities? Absolutely not.
Did they thrive anyway? Yep.
Did I survive? Barely — but yes.

Survival Tools & Treats I Swear By

When the noise level rises and your patience drops, these little lifesavers can make all the difference.

📦 My Amazon School Holiday Survival Wishlist — packed with fun games, creative kits, and family-friendly boredom busters. If you’re into crafty distractions for the kids, my post on Easy Cricut Vinyl Gifts for Kids will give you another quick win — especially for rainy days.

No pressure — just sharing what’s worked for me in the hope it might help you too.

The Mum Guilt That Never Showed Up

The morning they went back to school, I felt something deep in my bones.

It wasn’t guilt.
It was pure relief.

Because sometimes, being a good mum means recognising when your tank is empty.
Sometimes, survival is the win.
And sometimes, the most beautiful words in the English language are:

“We made it.”

I’m learning that sometimes the smartest move is finding tools that make life easier — like when I tested Artistly.ai for automated mockups and social posts to see if it could free up more time for, well, surviving school holidays.

A Thought for the Mamas Still in It

If you’re in the thick of it — the mess, the noise, the never-ending snacks — you’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing it all.

And if you whispered “thank god” when the school bell rang this week? Same. No guilt here.

Loved this?
☕ Shop the Swear Jar Mama range — cheeky mugs, gifts & homewares for real life.

💬 Tell me in the comments:
What was your “we survived” moment this school holidays? Was it screen-time limits… or just surrendering completely?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping me keep The Mama Assembly running on caffeine and chaos. ☕

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