Australian School Holidays in Canberra: A Working Mum’s Slow Journal

It’s school holiday season here in Canberra.
Having the kids home all day shifts the rhythm of my days—
especially as a working mum.

Now that my kids are older, I don’t need to prepare snacks every hour like I used to.
But I still try my best to make sure they eat three proper meals a day.
Between cooking lunch and checking work emails,
then calling them to eat and talking about their morning,
my day seems to fly by before I even realize it.

This season makes me want to focus more on the kids than on work.
But of course, it’s not that easy.
Still, those moments when we sneak out to the backyard for some basketball,
walk the dog in the cool air,
or just soak up the sun together remind me:

"This is the life we hoped for."

 

 

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to become a public servant was
so I wouldn’t always have to send my kids to Before or After School Care.
Canberra, like Korea’s Sejong City, has many public servants—
and that brings with it a culture of flexibility.

Now, I can step out mid-afternoon to pick the kids up from school,
and that feels like a small but meaningful win.

Both of my kids go to private schools now.
This holiday was two weeks,
but the next one will stretch out to three.
So I guess it’s time to start planning—mentally and logistically.

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Our days aren’t perfect. But they’re ours.
And for now, that’s more than enough. 🌱

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📎 이 글의 한국어 버전 보기 – 스쿨 홀리데이, 그래도 잘 살아내고 있어요