20 Recommendations for Families During the Mid-Year Break

With only a few days left until the mid-year break that children and young people eagerly await, this period is an excellent opportunity for both parents and students to spend quality time with family members and return to the new term feeling more motivated. Expert Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu Tezel from Anadolu Medical Center highlights that "Socializing, resting, and relaxing are crucial for adults who carry heavy responsibilities in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Although children may not be under as much responsibility as adults, it's essential to remember that they too can feel anxious, tired, and overwhelmed. Spending time outdoors in parks and nature, even if it’s cold during the break, is very important for both parents and children to get some fresh air."

20 Recommendations from Anadolu Medical Center Clinical Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu Tezel for Making the Most of the Mid-Year Break

Clinical Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu Tezel from Anadolu Medical Center offered 20 suggestions for parents to make the most of the mid-year break:

1. Encourage Communication: Help children connect with their peers. Plan gatherings where they can spend enjoyable time with friends, as well as nature walks and outings with their peers.
2. Focus on Creativity: It’s vital for children's development to create, explore, and share experiences. You can prepare healthy snacks together with your children and try out new recipes.
3. Maintain Routines: Sleep, wake times, meals, technology use, and play hours should remain consistent. Children should stick to their routines during the break to ensure they spend their days productively. Maintaining this structure is important to avoid adjustment issues when returning to school.
4. Encourage Family Participation: It’s important for all family members to be willing to spend time together. Plans and activities made by mutual agreement are often more enjoyable for both children and parents than trying to fill the day with various activities.
5. Don’t Neglect Homework: Assignments or additional work should not be neglected during the break. Plan short study sessions, particularly in the morning, for homework or reviewing subjects.
6. Age-Appropriate Activities: Choose activities that are suitable for your child's age and development, allowing them to have fun while reinforcing their knowledge.
7. Discuss Responsibilities: Talk to your children about household chores. Discussing plans with them will make them feel valued. Planning the next day or week together encourages adherence to plans and develops their decision-making and responsibility skills.
8. Plan Creative Activities: Consider organizing skill- or creativity-based activities that involve all family members.
9. Watch Movies Together: Occasionally watch movies or documentaries chosen based on the children's development and discuss the film afterward.
10. Organize Meet-Ups: Parents can arrange face-to-face or online meet-ups for their children with friends during the break. These gatherings can include short, low-energy activities and even fun events that parents can join.
11. Reading Together: Plan family reading activities. After reading a book, you can create drawings related to it or reinforce understanding with questions.
12. Play Non-Competitive Games: Play games that all family members can participate in without a focus on competition.
13. Limit Education Breaks: To ensure children don’t fall behind in their education during the break, plan short, manageable study sessions of about 30-40 minutes each day that won’t overwhelm them. It’s crucial to avoid putting pressure on them regarding their studies or resorting to harsh and blaming remarks that might make them feel unworthy.
14. Engage in Educational Games: Spend enjoyable and productive time with puzzles, riddles, educational board games, and flashcards.
15. Monitor Screen Time: Remind children of screen time limits during the break, and these limits should remain consistent daily. Parents should be consistent and stable in enforcing these rules.
16. Offer Suggestions for Boredom: For children who say they are bored or have nothing to do at home, parents should offer advice on how they can make their time enjoyable and productive, even while at home.
17. Encourage Limited Screen Time: Children should stay away from screens as much as possible during the break. Both during breaks and the school year, screen time outside of class hours should be limited and reduced if excessive for their physical and mental development.
18. Establish Family Meal Times: Just as during school, meals should not be eaten while watching tablets or television. Establish a routine where all family members come together to eat at the same time. The table should be set and cleared with the support of all family members.
19. Foster Imagination: Allow children to enjoy themselves without limitations by giving them the freedom to use their imagination. Constantly directing them, telling them what to do, or interfering excessively in their play can hinder their productivity and creativity during individual playtime.
20. Remind About Returning to School: Remind children how many days the break lasts and that they will return to their regular school routine afterward. For younger children, discussions and explanations can be made more concrete using pictures.