It’s the end of the first semester in the busy school tempo. We should not forget that in this period when the education process is interrupted with the closure of schools, it will be very beneficial for children to take a break and rest. Acıbadem Dr. Şinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz said, “It should not be forgotten that this is a break period, because children also need rest, relaxation and fun. With a rested body and mind, their transition to the next period will be more comfortable. Stating that the semester break is also an important opportunity to make up for the short time spent with parents in the evenings in a rushed pace, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz said, “You can make family holiday trips, cultural trips or exploration trips to the city you are in. Such activities not only bring the relationship between the child and the parent closer, but also enable the child to gain different experiences by having fun. However, in this process, it should not be forgotten that the homework and various activities given by the teachers are also the responsibility of the children and must be fulfilled. Fun and responsibilities should go hand in hand,” she says. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz explained the rules that parents should pay attention to for a productive semester break; made important suggestions and warnings!
Don’t be too flexible or domineering!
Do not leave your child too flexible or too authoritarian during the semester break. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz said, “As a parent, never be a teacher at home. Take care to be a leader who guides and supports your child. Because being a teacher can cause the relationship with the child to turn into a power struggle. As a result, studying and doing homework are no longer his own responsibility and can turn into a work that serves the wishes of his parents.” she says.
Do not punish and reward!
Take care to stay away from approaches such as punishment and reward during the semester break. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz said, “The success of the child, especially in report cards, should be interpreted as his/her effort and effort, and the matching of success and reward should be avoided. The interpretation made on the child’s labor and effort will increase the sense of responsibility in his inner world. Punishment increases feelings of inadequacy and guilt, and can make the child feel deprived of support.” she speaks.
Do not make major changes in routines!
Another important point that you should pay attention to during the semester break is not to make big changes in your routines. Otherwise, at the end of the holiday, the child’s return to school and adaptation may become difficult. However, in this process, you can make small flexibility in your daily routines. For example, if your child goes to bed at 9 PM, you can extend this time by half an hour.
Plan your events together
It is also very important to plan together with your child about what you can do during the holiday, and to create activities that may interest him by thinking together. Caring about your child’s opinion will increase their self-confidence. You can play board games, do puzzles, read books, watch movies together and talk about it in the house. Doing such enjoyable activities together and laughing a lot will be very effective in reducing your child’s stress and facilitating the transition to the next term of school.
Get them to socialize with their peers
It is also very important to ensure that your child is socialized during the holidays. Because children’s socialization with their friend groups and their involvement in various group activities that they have not experienced before can help them realize their new social skills.
Don’t say ‘it’s okay if you don’t do it’
It is extremely important that they fulfill the responsibilities given by their teachers to complete them during the semester break. These responsibilities enable the child to develop awareness of his responsibility towards his school and teacher. Therefore, if you do not want to do his homework and if you approach him as ‘nothing will happen if he doesn’t do it’, you may cause your child to develop a sense of guilt on their way back to school. Therefore, you should remind and support that the teacher expects him to fulfill his responsibilities.
Don’t criticize, don’t pressure
If your child’s report grade and performance are low, do not force him to study by criticizing and putting pressure during the holiday period. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz, warning that this behavior will harm your relationship, said, “You should show your child that there are ups and downs as well as ups and you should be in an attitude that gives hope and support that he can achieve this. If there is a need for additional work to the homework given at school, you can create an additional study order with the guidance of your teacher.
As the day of school opening approaches…
3 or 4 days before the opening of schools, you need to gradually switch to the old routine. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Mine Şahbaz said, “In addition, the end of the holiday will create a feeling of sadness and separation on the child. For this reason, let him open up space for his feelings about how the holiday went and how he felt. Encouraging him to express his feelings and accompanying his feelings will help him relax during this transition.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
