«And above all the activities and ideas, the most important thing is that during the holidays
There are moments of family reunion. Whether in Montevideo or in the most paradisiacal destination,
What children need most is time spent with their parents, siblings, cousins, uncles and grandparents.«
The end of another year is approaching. For adults, it will surely bring an opportunity to take stock: to recognize which moments and people were a cause of joy, which weaknesses were an opportunity for growth, and which projects will be a source of adventure in the future. Hopefully, it will also be a time to look to Jesus.
For children and teenagers, the end of the year is noticeable because of the final exams, end-of-year parties, the handing out of certificates, exams and, of course, the assessments. Luckily, with all this comes the holidays. They may be longer or shorter, but their arrival is necessary.
In the youngest members of the family, it can be noticed that they are tired (even if they sleep longer); when they get up, they frequently ask if they have to go to school; they are more distracted and have small forgetfulnesses; they have a hard time doing their homework (they finish it quickly and with mistakes or look for excuses to start doing it); they appear listless and, above all, they are in a worse mood: more angry and impatient (Caraballo, 2016).
Vacations are therefore a time of rest. A time of rest from the passing of the year, the routine and its rigors. And a time of rest that helps us begin well prepared for the cognitive and emotional challenges that await us next year.
So, for both the youngest and the oldest, there are certain permissions that can be granted. Some examples might be:
- Sleeping in and lazing around in bed – it’s no problem for teenagers to sleep in until 12!
- Don't rush through morning activities like breakfast and cleaning. These are usually times of little calm and enjoyment during the year.
- Playing or doing activities that require a lot of time that is not available during the year. For example: water fights, cooking, inviting friends over during the week, extra time at the club, etc.
Furthermore, one of the most important permissions is to get bored. According to Belton and Priyadharshini (2010), it should be considered an emotion and therefore belongs to the person who feels it. Boredom appears when there is a lack of pre-established activities and it is at that moment when creativity and fantasy arise (del Río Ripoll, 2014). In agreement, Artigue Gómez points out that free time promotes imagination, natural exploration, curiosity and executive functions (flexibility, reasoning, decision making, etc.). Therefore, when faced with boredom, parents have nothing better to do than to let them solve the problem on their own.
Without a doubt, when boredom is replaced by creativity, learning is encouraged. And, although during the holidays we take a break from school and its demands, we cannot stop stimulating learning and related skills. To do this, it will be important to carry out relaxed activities that put the skills learned into play. Thus, the following could be carried out: regular readings, writings that record what was experienced during the day or week, mental calculations, art workshops, sudokus, word searches, puzzles, brain teasers, algorithms, conversations in English, visits to museums, libraries, explicit review of a subject, etc.
If these activities are carried out more frequently as the holidays come to an end, as well as a moderate transition back to schedules and routines, children and adolescents will be better prepared for a new beginning.
Finally, and above all activities and ideas, the most important thing is that during the holidays there are moments of family gatherings. Whether in Montevideo or in the most paradisiacal destination, what children need most is time shared with their parents and siblings, cousins, uncles and grandparents.
PPGA. Maria Panario
