HOW A STUDENT CAN UTILIZE HOLIDAYS – by Sheetal. V. J

Holidays – the day cherished by all irrespective of age, gender. A day to be utilised to do whatever the person wants to do. It can be used to do some of the household activities, gardening, cleaning, cooking, etc., doing some outdoor work like shopping, going out on one day tour, a drive or hanging out with friends, etc., or by doing our hobbies like reading, playing a musical instrument or a game, going to the park for a walk, etc.

A holiday is fruitful if it’s utilised properly by doing some activity successfully. As a parent, it is our prime duty to make sure that our child properly utilizes the holiday by involving him in some household activities like cleaning, gardening, etc. Allow the child to do the work on his own, instruct him wherever necessary but do not interrupt. Let the child make his own decisions in sequencing the work. Let him plan out his activities.

During the vacation, the children feel that they are free to do whatever they like. But as a parent, we have to make the vacation an effective one. A time when a child can explore his hidden talents. The child in his playful mood is often unaware of his talent. Sometimes even we, as a parent are unaware of it. So we should involve our child in various activities and try to hunt his talent. It is not necessary to send your child outside to explore the talent. You can ask him to make a list of activities he would like to do during his vacation to help him if he needs your help.

Involve the child in household activities like cleaning, mopping, making a budget, take him for shopping, ask him to select the commodities based on the usage, MRP and expiry date, check the bill after shopping, take him to the park, play along with him, allow him to play with the other children in the park, this increases the judging capacity of the child, keep an eye but don’t be overprotective, allow the child to go and bring somethings like milk, newspaper on his own. This will make the child bold and confident.

If we involve the child in the household activities the child feels responsible and understands the efforts put in by the parents to run the family. These inculcate some moral values in them like respect, kindness, responsibility, generosity. It even helps the child to be independent. In case of emergencies, the child could be of great help on par with the elderly members of the family.

If the time and budget permits we should take our child to some tourist place, it will help him to know about the geographical location of the place, people living there, language spoken, climate, food habit, culture, historical monuments, mode of public transport, etc. It helps him to compare our place of living with that of others.

Cultivate the habit of reading books. To cultivate this habit we as a parent also have to read along with them to be their role model. It can be any book like storybooks, comics, autobiographies, etc. The choice of the book depends upon the age and interest of the child. Take your child to the library or a reading room to make them understand the value of the books.

Make your child learn something new in every vacation. It can be a game, a sport, a musical instrument. Allow your child to select the activities of his interest. Though you are confident enough that your child will not be able to do the particular activity still you don’t stop him. Let him try and decide on his own. If he learns it adds to his talent if he fails he learns a lesson. Never degrade a child if he leaves the activity in between also, try to motivate him and rejoin, but still if he is reluctant than don’t force.

All the children will not be equal in talent, energy, learning capacities, and activeness. As a parent, we need to know our child first as a human being. We should know his interests, working capacities, energy levels, the things he loves to do the most. Never compare your child with others. Similarly never ask your child to show his talent in front of others. Our child is human beings with feelings and not the item to be exhibited. Allow your child to speak, that will make him bold and clear in expressing his thoughts and speak his heartfelt. Never stop the child when he is speaking something.

As it is rightly said that “Every holiday has its own story” so come let us create one story in our child’s life which is as happy as a fairy tale, as explorative as an adventure tale, as funny as a comic, as memorable as a biography which will be cherished and remembered by our children for their future and which will become the stuff to be shared by their grandchildren in their old age. This is the best treasure which we can give to our children.

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