The end of the school year is a day marked on the calendar by parents and children. Why? Some, the children, are happy to have almost three months of vacation. The other, the parents, have been worried for weeks about what their children will do during the summer. This period involves a break in the usual routine of families. It is obvious that, during the year, having a set routine helps family life. In fact, children feel more secure knowing what they will do all day.
Many professionals, including ourselves, are in favor of maintaining the patterns that are carried out during the year. And what routines are needed? The same as during the whole school year? It is not necessary. It is necessary to identify the needs of the children and the rest of the family during the vacations. And what does this mean? That parents should take into account these needs to establish, if necessary, new ones.
First of all, schedules must be maintained. Obviously, since it is a vacation, they can be more flexible. But at no time should we lose sight of their compliance. That is to say, it is necessary to have a timetable for going to bed, getting up, eating, studying and playing. At this point a second element appears: the planning of activities. From September to June, children spend a large part of the day at school. And now, what will they do during all these hours? Some parents are worried about the possibility that the children will spend the day closed at home watching television or playing video game consoles and computers. That’s why many opt to include them in day camps, camps, or campuses.
In addition, it is necessary that they continue to have the responsibilities and obligations in relation to their age. Responsibility and autonomy should be worked on throughout the year. In the same way, children’s learning should not be neglected either. For this reason, schools recommend summer notebooks. It is also very important that parents are present during the vacations, both academically and personally. It is a good time to strengthen the parent-child bond as well as to share moments of leisure.
This article is written by Dr. Sasot and the psychologist Carles Patris of the Centre Psicopedià tric Guia