“Trouble springs from idleness and grievous toil from needless ease”
Benjamin Franklin
It is not uncommon for parents to have anxieties about how to engage their children during holidays, most especially the long, seemingly endless summer holiday.
The solution to this situation is simply to plan ahead! It may seem to be a somewhat simplistic solution. However, it is also the tried and tested way to overcome the exasperation that the holidays may bring.
[How to keep children busy over the Summer holiday]
When planning ahead, the primary consideration should be our children’s needs. Through our interactions, observations, or even through information given over time, some answers might be obvious.
For those answers that may not be glaringly obvious, parents would have to turn to their children for guidance.
You might wonder why ask, especially when some children may retort ‘nothing’ in response. A clear example is my daughter, when asked what she wanted to do during the almost three-month holiday, she said she wanted to sleep!!!
Asking serves as a good guide in knowing how their minds work. It also helps initiate conversations in which their input is sought on matters that pertain to them. This also fosters a sense of inclusion on their part.
When a child knows what he or she wants to do, we can also provide a good balance of letting them know what they also need. We all know, as parents, that we need to keep them purposefully occupied.
Our focus should be more on their human interactions, connections, and communication, and less on the gadgets and indoor entertainment systems. There ought to be more planned outdoor activities and fewer sedentary indoor lifestyles.
It is important that they have a structure and a routine even during the holiday, as we continue to guide them rightly, so there’s no opening for restlessness that might attract negativity.
First, we need to set goals for what is actually needed in the following areas:
House Chores
Children need to learn basic house chores. A roster can be developed for age-appropriate chores such as setting the table, turning lights on and off at appropriate times, tidying up rooms, washing dishes, and taking out the garbage. This is a good time for the younger children to assist the domestic help, and for the older children to be involved in household affairs by running errands in and out of the house and babysitting. Can chores teach children responsibility?
Skill acquisitions
The relevance of this goal cannot be underestimated. Vocational skills which include but are not limited to floristry, carpentry, technician, hairstylist, and catering.
About thirty years ago, my Dad had a discussion with my siblings and me. He said we must each learn vocational skills and a foreign language, in addition to our academic pursuits, as he foresees a scenario in which our university qualifications will not suffice to remain relevant to the challenges ahead. This point of view is more apposite than ever in these times.
[Children should learn new skills on holiday – Osinbajo advises]
Character formation
This involves using activity-based camps for younger children. The essence of the activities in these places is to teach children the importance of timeliness, patience, discipline, teamwork, resilience, independence, and leadership.
Internships or volunteering
Must not be ruled out for the older children who must have a sense of purpose, duty, and responsibility.
In addition, this period should also be seen as an added advantage for those with very restricted schedules who would otherwise struggle to spend extended quality time with their children. Taking a leave of absence from work for a period could help foster tighter bonds between parents and children. It will also create the opportunity to take a break and spend time together.
[Summer holidays – The perfect time to start a journal]
Vacation
More often than not, when I ask children what they are doing for the holiday, they say they are traveling. This is good as it is part of education and the acquisition of knowledge. The important thing is that children should visit places of interest and also engage in fun-based activities.
Summer Camps
There are also camps they can register for on a daily or residential basis to keep them busy.
Spend the vacation as a family!
This is usually when parents also learn more about their children. They also learn what they can and cannot do, especially when there is no domestic help around. The practice of fathers planning a family vacation without being part of the holiday should be totally discouraged! They must find time to join in at some point.
[Money matters – Planning a family holiday?]
Once we are certain of the goals we want our children to achieve over the holiday, we need to conduct research into where these services would be best provided. As much as we want to keep the children busy, we must not lose sight of their safety, protection, overall well-being, ongoing interaction, and our communication with them. Getting feedback from them and from the people they engage with at their respective places of engagement should be considered.
All these activities can be grouped under an umbrella as we pursue a flexible, balanced approach to leisure, skills, character formation, knowledge acquisition, and even good, sound sleep! After all, it’s holiday time!
The HOLIDAY period is a very good time for us parents to get to know our children better while we train, bond, connect, and have fun before they return to their studies at their places of learning and face the rigors of another academic session.
In the meantime, let’s continue to develop your relationships and find time to
Live, love, and learn….!
Contributed © Mrs Abimbola Somolu
