As we near the end of the summer holidays, I like to look back over the weeks and notice what has happened — the good, the bad and everything in between. Holidays are often touted as a time of joy and relaxation, but they also knock us out of our usual routines, and that can bring its own upset and stress

We’ve certainly encountered that in our family this summer! We’ve had some “testing” days, but also some absolute crackers — my son not only had his first flight in a plane, but in a DA42 twin-engine aircraft, no less!

Six weeks of changed routines can wobble us, and then, just as we’re getting used to that, the holidays end and we have to adjust all over again. School and work routines start back up, bedtimes shift, the weather changes and suddenly autumn is on its way.

So I like to use this last week of the holidays as a gentle transition: finding our autumn rhythm, getting up and going to bed at more familiar times, getting outside for walks and noticing the changing flora around us. It’s a chance to connect with the season before it arrives and catches us unawares.