The pressure on modern parents to provide ‘experiences’ for their children during the holidays – and particularly the summer holidays – is greater than ever.
But where does this pressure come from?
☀️ Are we feeling it because we genuinely believe our children need their days to be filled with activities from dawn to dusk?
☀️ Or are we feeling it because society tells us we are failing as parents if we don’t take this approach?
☀️ If the latter, let’s not forget it’s in society’s best interests to have us spend our way out of our summer holiday guilt – and not everyone can afford to do this, which heaps on even more guilt.
➡️ If you’re feeling the pressure as the school holidays approach, remind yourself that your responsibility as a parent is to meet your children’s basic needs and show them love.
It is NOT your responsibility to stimulate them 24/7.
Children need to be bored – something that is already becoming harder to achieve in our fast-paced, digital world.
If we try to fill their waking hours with activities during holiday time, we are taking away their autonomy and potentially even inhibiting their development, curiosity, learning etc.
⛔ Don’t be afraid to challenge societal norms.
We, as modern parents, need to let ourselves off the hook.
And, in doing so, we might just find that everyone benefits.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this.
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