Charlene Farrell
The summer break is the most anticipated break for children and teachers all over the country. Every year, these two sections of society wait with bated breath to usher in the holy grail of the education system……. the summer holidays. Being a teacher, I catch the envy in many a voice when they ask about my summer vacations. Children all over use this time to have an all-out blast. For the rest of the population, (the parents especially) this is an extremely crazy time. A lot of households today have both parents going out to work. Not everyone is lucky enough to have their vacations coincide with their children and so it turns into a time of panic. Parents have no idea how to occupy their young and sometimes kids spend their whole vacation doing nothing productive.
The great part about this day and age is that a number of people have started taking this into consideration and have begun organising summer camps. Now, choosing the one that’s best for you is also very important. Make sure that the camp you choose caters to the needs of your child and therefore, it is best if you share the literature you have about the camp with them and then decide on what suites them the best. Second, speak to the camp organisers and clarify all doubts. Make sure the camp trainers know what they are doing.
The goal should be making the time worth it. Another thing, parents need to ensure is that their children stay in touch with their books. Very often, we find that when the child comes back to school after the long break, they tend to forget most of what is required for them to take them forward in class. Making sure they do a little academic work during the holidays is always a great idea and takes the stress off of them later. Creating a time during the day for leisure and not stressing on too much work but giving them fun learning experiences will create a great opportunity for a balanced holiday.
Seeking out camps that also focus a lot on life skills will help in this regard too. Of course, this is also a great chance to get your children to learn during trips away from home. Ensuring quality time, family trips teach a child more than they can ever learn from a book in a classroom. Taking them out during the weekends or when you as parents have a day off is all you need, if longer breaks are not possible. Making sure that these small trips are child friendly and educational. It is important as these are lessons your kids will keep with them for a lifetime. It really doesn’t matter how much time you get to spend with your child, what matters is the quality of that time. This country and yes this state, has more than enough culture, architecture and fun to go around, as long as you plan your trips keeping everything in mind and dedicate the entire time to them. We often do these trips out of obligations, but the beauty of all experience is that you can learn something more yourself and when you learn along with your children, there is absolutely nothing in this world that could measure up to that experience.
Another thing to keep in mind is keep yourselves healthy. As we know the summers are getting much more intense than they have ever been. Very often, when we are having fun, we tend to neglect some very basic health requirements. Keep yourselves hydrated and have plenty of water at hand. Make sure you take advantage of nature’s beauty and keep the fruit intake going. Clothes that are made for the season will definitely trump fashion and make sure you are set for the summers with proper protection from the sun. Make your checklists before stepping out and check them twice.
And finally, have a great time with family and friends and take full advantage of the gift of time you have been given. Being part of the technological age, it is very easy forus to occupy our time with all the technology that surrounds us. There is absolutely no substitute for quality time spent with people. So leave those pesky phones on silent and live in the moment. Leave behind all the stress and hit the road. Be safe, be prepared and let this be a fruitful summer. Get set, get ready and beat the heat.
