Pooja Ahuja
Summer vacations mean fun and creativity for children, but for parents it brings additional work as the latter get busy looking for alternative activities for their little ones
Schools are about to re-open
after a summer break.
Parents, including teachers (teachers as parents too) are anxiously looking forward to it and are preparing themselves to get back to their routine, which so easily goes for a toss during vacations. Parents know it well that no two days are alike during vacations. Every day, every hour has to be planned so as to keep the kids busy. For, if let free, kids, bubbling with energy and enthusiasm, as they always are, can potentially create havoc at home.
Great, grand plans that were made at the beginning of the vacations are now behind us. While some plans materialised some did not. Nevertheless, kids have had their share of fun and frolic. All in all, they had a great time during the vacations. However, the same cannot be said for the parents.
During vacations, parents hardly get time to relax. When schools close for vacations, hobby classes get into full swing. Ferrying kids to and fro for hobby classes, making them practice their hobbies at home, inviting their friends over, preparing their choicest food, taking them to the neighborhood park in the evening and so forth hardly leaves the parents with enough energy to pursue anything else.
However, knowing that once the school re-opens, the kids will have to follow a strict regimen, parents do not mind going that extra mile. Therefore, parents want their kids to have a good change during vacations by taking them to some new destination which can be a hill station or a beach or a forest reserve. Further, a vacation is never complete without spending a few days at grandpa's house or without meeting cousins. Travelling for excursion as well as to meet one's extended family brings good amount of work in terms of planning and preparing for the trip, alongwith a promise of some relaxation, of course.
Frankly, throughout the vacation period, school is never on one's mind. It's only when the re-opening date draws close that one starts thinking about the holiday homework, weekly exams etc. Parent's WhatsApp group, which goes into hibernation during vacations, starts coming back to life when the date comes close, reminding oneself of the re-opening of the school.
It's a smart idea to relegate all holiday homework to the last couple of weeks of the vacation period as it is both efficient and a perfect way to re-orient the kids into 'school mode.' But this strategy means that the last few days tend to be harrowing for the kids and parents alike, particularly when the kids are at primary level and need parents' assistance to finish projects, charts, and models on varied themes.
Even though Internet has made information available at the touch of a button, competition has also intensified. It is healthy to cultivate some sense of competitive spirit in a child, but excess of it can start interfering with the child's development. On the other hand, there are some parents who seek the services of professionals to get models, charts, projects prepared for their children. Such models will definitely standout, but one wonders how much the kids will learn if they are not fully involved in completing their homework. At times it gets tempting to resort to such short cuts. But I remind myself that there is only one life to live and life is short so why not give your fullest to your kids. The moment I remember this, all my temptation and tiredness evaporates. Anyway, I too am looking forward to the re-opening of the school. What a great institution a it is.
(Courtesy@daily Pioneer.com) |
