School Holidays Are Here: 5 Tips for Juggling Work and Kids (Without Losing Your Mind)
School Holidays Are Here: 5 Tips for Juggling Work and Kids (Without Losing Your Mind)
For working parents, school holidays can be both a joy and a logistical puzzle. With the NSW school break just around the corner, many of us at ASR Recruitment – and many of our candidates and clients – are preparing to juggle family time, work commitments, and everything in between.
We know that flexibility at work isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a lifeline for parents during these busy weeks. So whether you’re working from home, managing hybrid hours, or trying to keep your team productive, here are a few tried-and-true ways to keep the kids happy and keep your sanity:
- Set a loose routine – for everyone
Kids thrive with structure (even during holidays). Creating a light routine – breakfast, outdoor time, quiet time, screen time – helps them stay settled and gives you blocks of time for focused work.
- Embrace flexible hours if possible
Whether you’re an employer or employee, flexibility is gold during school holidays. Starting early, taking a longer midday break, or splitting work across two parents can make a world of difference.
- Have a “boredom buster” list ready
Create a go-to list of activities your kids can do independently: puzzles, audiobooks, crafts, online museum tours, or free holiday programs in your area. (Hot tip: Newcastle and Sydney councils often have free school holiday events – worth checking out!)
- Communicate with your team
If you’re a hiring manager or team leader, now’s the time to check in with your team. Being aware of who has kids at home and offering some leeway can go a long way toward maintaining morale and productivity.
- Don’t aim for perfection
Real talk: your house might be a mess, a Zoom call might feature a surprise guest, and screen time may go up. That’s OK. These weeks are temporary – give yourself (and others) some grace.
Why We’re Sharing This
At ASR, we support people through career moves and life changes – because they’re often one and the same. Whether you’re job hunting, onboarding a new team member, or leading a department, schoolholidays affect how we all work.
If you’re navigating flexibility, team culture, or work-life balance – we’d love to chat. Supporting professionals is what we do best.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY LOOKING TO HIRE?
ASR Recruitment is a boutique recruitment agency specialising in Technology & Digital, Marketing and Communications, Accounting & Finance, Construction, Human Resources, Engineering, Safety, Procurement, Transport & Logistics, Manufacturing, Legal & Risk, Administration & Customer Service.
Find out more by visiting our Clients page!
Looking for a new role? Search Jobs here.
From our blog
Read our articles below to see our latest insights.
Where Finance Meets IT: Are You Strengthening Your Skill Set?
Where Finance Meets IT: Are You Strengthening Your Skill Set? The relationship between Finance and IT is becoming increasingly important, and with it comes an exciting opportunity for those working in accounting and finance. From ERP implementations and automation to data analytics and reporting, technology is changing how finance teams operate and the skills businesses…
Ethics Is What You Do When No One’s Watching
Ethics Is What You Do When No One’s Watching Most businesses have a values statement somewhere. On the website, in the induction pack, maybe framed in reception. Integrity, respect, accountability. It reads well, but it isn’t where ethics actually lives. Ethics lives in the small moments nobody else sees. The timesheet rounded up by half…
Why the First Candidate Is Often the Best Candidate
Why the First Candidate Is Often the Best Candidate When looking for a new team member for a client, the first step is to understand the role and what experience and skill set is needed. As Recruitment Consultants, we use this information to conduct a targeted search, reaching out to candidates in our network who…
The Candidate Said No. Now What?
The Candidate Said No. Now What? You’ve found the right candidate. They’ve interviewed well, they’re a great fit for the team and you make the offer. Then they say no. It’s frustrating, but before assuming it was all about salary, there are often a few other factors at play. It’s not always about the money…
How do you sell a regional executive opportunity to a national candidate market?
How do you sell a regional executive opportunity to a national candidate market? When organisations in Newcastle and the Hunter recruit at executive level, one of the questions that often comes up is: How do we convince someone from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or further afield to make the move? The obvious answer is lifestyle. Beaches,…
What’s Really Driving Allied Health Hiring Challenges in Newcastle
What’s Really Driving Allied Health Hiring Challenges in Newcastle On paper, Newcastle should be a relatively straightforward place to attract allied health professionals. We have a strong local training pipeline through the University of Newcastle, which offers degrees across Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology and Nutrition and Dietetics. We have the lifestyle, a significant health…
When was the last time you had Career Check-In?
When was the last time you had Career Check-In? Many professionals only think about speaking with a recruiter when they are actively looking for a new role. However, there is so much to gain with regular check-ins. Whether you work in finance, human resources, marketing, operations, administration, technology, construction, engineering or another specialist field, staying…
Experience Doesn’t Replace Onboarding
Experience Doesn’t Replace Onboarding Onboarding in finance roles still feels like a gap. Yes, most experienced finance candidates have worked across multiple systems. Yes, they understand reconciliations, reporting, payroll, month-end, compliance and the importance of accuracy. And yes, sometimes a business genuinely needs someone who can come in and make an impact quickly. But experience…
Why “We’ll Just Manage” Could Be Costing Your Business More Than You Think
Why “We’ll Just Manage” Could Be Costing Your Business More Than You Think It’s a phrase we hear all the time. “We’ll just manage for now.” Whether someone has resigned, gone on annual leave, taken parental leave or your business has secured a major project, it’s tempting to absorb the workload and push through until…
The Engineering Roles That Didn’t Exist in the Hunter Five Years Ago
The Engineering Roles That Didn’t Exist in the Hunter Five Years Ago Why the local market has quietly transformed, and what it means for both engineers and employers Five years ago, in early 2021, you couldn’t have hired for any of these roles in the Hunter: grid forming BESS controls engineer, electrolyser commissioning engineer, REZ…