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School's out for summer?
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Today's overworked children seem to have no time for travel and leisure, says PRINCE FREDERICK
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All work, no play Is that what holidays are about?
Singer Jolly Abraham has fond memories of his summer vacations in Kumbalam, Ernakulam. Every morning, he and his friends would pedal furiously down a serpentine road that would take them to a pond. For two hours of mungamkuzhi. "You may call it a countryside version of underwater swimming," smiles Abraham. "The one who swims the longest underwater, wins." That's not all. The boys would roam around the countryside. Chasing butterflies. Catching madapuras. And choosing from a host of other rough-and-ready games.
Pleasant respite
"We had unbridled freedom," reminisces Abraham. For the singer, summer vacations were a pleasant respite from algebra and algorithm. "Not anymore. Summer vacations these days do not seem to be so much fun," says the father of two.
Children find their summer vacations filled with what adults think they (the children) should be doing. With this-course and that-camp crammed into the two months, summer vacation now looks like an extension of school days. "They have become scheduled and so predictable," says Jyothi Thomas, secretary, Indian Association For Pre-School Education.
Thomas does not buy the argument that summer camps are always beneficial. "Since most of these camps are structured, they do not always kindle initiative. Moreover, the business element is central to them. `What skills does my child get for the money I spend?' As a result, the camps are often not very enjoyable for the children," she says. "These camps allow only for kids-to-kids interaction; but to become fully integrated personalities, children should interact with people of all ages. That is possible only if they travel or stay in new surroundings." Prassana, artistic director, Swingers, had such an advantage. As both his parents were film choreographers, a good part of his summer vacations would be spent away from the city and in the presence of new people. "A new world opened up for me," he says.
Some reason it out that where travelling is not possible, summer jobs can be substitute. They open up children to the "real world". There is some truth in it, no doubt. Even children take to it. The idea (of summer jobs) has caught on so much that some cannot wait for the exams to be over so that they could fill out job application forms.
But, summer jobs come a close second to summer camps in keeping youngsters from enjoying themselves. Because they come with regimentation, and do not let the little ones simply laze around. Not anymore the luxury of wearing the same outfit all through the summer vacation.
"Now they have no choice but to wear neat and clean clothes," jokes A.S. Balachander, principal consultant, International Centre For Personality Development.
"If hols are consumed by such frenzied activities, where is the time for making a meaningful connection with the family, which is vital for the development of a child?" says Thomas. "I come from a joint family of 30 and most of what I know I learnt from them."
"There are various elements to personality development. Sensitivity and emotional intelligence are part of them. The family alone can play a big role in developing these qualities," says Balachander. "For this reason, parents should take time out and make themselves available to their children." Summer vacation is the best time to do that.
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