The Importance Of Letting Children Rest During The Summer

Summer is the season children enjoy most because they have a lot of free time. So much so that they often spend several hours in front of a screen. I get lots of questions from concerned parents asking me how to handle this, how to set a schedule. After all the pressure children faced during the quarantine period parents are a bit confused. Should they push their kids or should they just let them free to do what they want?

 

So what do you do? I’d say “yes” to a flexible schedule. What does that mean? Make a relaxed daily program but do not push your children or yourself. No need to follow it to the letter, just have fun. We all need vacation; we all need to relax!

It’s an absolute must to “plan” free time without activities during the day. We leave time so that both kids and parents get bored. This way we will all get into the process of thinking about what we like, what we want to do, and actually get into doing what we want. Leaving our imagination free we can relax and at the same time get ideas, find solutions.

 

"But then my child won’t study at all during summer and he/she will forget everything" is a typical comment I often get. I’d say another big “yes” to reading extracurricular books that attract their interest and let their imagination run wild! But children need rest, just like adults do. Would you want to work during your vacation? And please do yourselves a favor and go back to the time when you were a child. Do you remember how you enjoyed spending your summer vacation? Let them play, run, bike, enjoy the sea, the mountains. This way they will “recharge their batteries” so they’ll be ready to go back to schooling and studying from September onwards.

Summer also offers an excellent opportunity to observe your child as a personality without time or school restraints. What is the activity or activities they choose to spend more time with? How does he/she behave when they are relaxed? How does he/she like to be treated? What are the areas they need your help with and what not? What do they like to do together with you?

Summer gives us a good opportunity to get to know our children better and to help them become independent and make their decisions on some of the issues that concern them.

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!