With the end of the current school year just around the corner and with many differing experiences regards learning at home over the last few months, it is inevitable that parents are full of uncertain feelings about the school holidays. And with so much uncertainty ahead and a distinct lack of holiday opportunities, thoughts turn towards what to do over the next few weeks. Should you just kick back and let your children play? Should you continue to let them learn at home so that they still have that structure? Or should you focus on a mixture of the two, balancing current mental health and future learning at the same time?
Whilst this is certainly not a one size fits all situation, it can be useful to let your children know that it is the summer holidays so there is more free time to enjoy the outdoors in particular (as opposed to playing on tech inside, weather allowing). Making sure that your children are active and getting vitamin D is essential for the growth both physically and mentally, things which are of the utmost importance under present circumstances. With hopefully better weather ahead, it is time to break free of any strict timetable but also make sure that being outdoors is prioritised.
Naturally, whilst it is a nice feeling initially to not receive the pressure of schoolwork in your inbox every day, the worry then builds about September and keeping your child in the learning habit.
Maths and English are the main focus of the school curriculum so any work that can be done in these two areas is always going to be of benefit. Try to keep the brain active but take the worry about completion times away by giving small amounts daily. 30 minutes on each subject will prove beneficial in the long run. Try and keep the work fun and relevant to your child so it’s seen as less of a chore and more of a thing to look forward to.