Beat the heat!

GulfWeekly’s columnist Preety Praveen explores the topic ‘The challenges parents face with children forced to stay indoors during the summer’.

As the scorching sun continues to engulf the country, parents are increasingly finding themselves in turmoil, perusing multiple websites and platforms to find ways to keep their children entertained indoors.

The soaring temperatures and harsh humidity have undoubtedly made outdoor play impossible by not only taking away the energy and enthusiasm to play, but also posing significant health risks.

Having understood that indoor play has become more about watching videos and playing online games, fun and creative educational activities have become a challenge for parents to keep their children engaged productively.

Summer time becomes more challenging if both the parents are employed.

Playfulness is the most important quality of truly impactful education. Asking a child to sit and study during the summer break needs tact, and becomes unfair as well. Still, to keep the playful mind in control and eyes away from the screen, elders should involve them in things which will keep them occupied.

Along with other fun activities, one of the best ways to engage children in a productive way is to make a timetable of their daily activities with rewards. Activities can include waking up on time, taking bath, cleaning their room, praying, finishing their food, learning new skills, revising their syllabus, playing with their friends, sleeping at the right time and much more. Each activity can have a point and at the end of the day, the child should get an award as per the rules suggested.

This would help to let the child take control of his actions, time and knowledge. The sense of responsibility definitely polishes their character positively.

For my kids, I used to make a chart in the beginning of their vacation. Each activity was assigned for 100 fils. At the end of their vacation, they used to get a big amount, which would get divided in two halves. One half of their earned money would go into bank accounts and they were free to spend the other half as they wished.

In the process, they learned many things, like discipline in their lifestyle, how to take responsibility, new skills, importance of every penny; how to save and how to spend wisely.

Whatever time we get, we elders should help our children understand the importance of everything they have and everything they aspire to have.

And vacation time is the best time to be with them to learn and teach things we fail to do normally.

If we leave them on their own, they’ll be like a boat lost in the big ocean, with no control and direction. We should give them our time, attention and concern at the right time and in the right way, and in return we’ll get their respect, love and understanding.

And that’s why it is said, ‘The greatest gift you can give your children is your time’.

(Preety Praveen is a psychologist and author.)