As the summer vacation approaches, at this time every year, parents can spend long hours with their children. However, they often face many worries: mainly expressed in the fact that children are not as obedient during the break from school, conflicts between parents and children escalate, some children even develop psychological issues, and refuse to communicate with their parents.
I. Why are there more mental health issues during the summer vacation?
1. Disruption of regular study routine
Children suddenly relax from the stressful study life, which can lead to a loss of goals and motivation, irregular living habits, playing games at night, lack of energy during the day. Prolonged exposure to this situation in children can trigger emotional disorders, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.
2. Sudden changes in interpersonal relationships
Many children have no companions at home during the summer vacation and cannot communicate with classmates as they do at school. A decrease in social interactions can lead to self-isolation and reluctance to go out over time.
3. Escalation of conflicts between parents and children
During the vacation, the time children spend with parents increases significantly, and previously subtle conflicts become more pronounced. In addition, teenagers are more rebellious and self-centered, leading to increasingly tense parent-child relationships and more arguments.
4. Discrepancy between ideals and reality
Especially some parents always want to take shortcuts for their children, enrolling them in various tutoring classes during the summer vacation, adding academic pressure. This not only fails to achieve the desired effect but also leads to psychological issues in children. It is important to help children correctly solve learning difficulties and intervene scientifically!
II. What should parents do?
The adolescent period is the most sensitive and complex psychologically. If these psychological issues are not effectively addressed and adjusted during this period, they may affect the child’s entire life. Parents should guide their children in the following ways.
1. Help children develop good sleep habits
Adequate rest is a prerequisite for maintaining children’s physical health.
2. Engage in positive interactions with children
Parents should accompany, care for, communicate with their children more, and help them answer questions and solve difficulties promptly. The warmth of the family is a remedy for solving all children’s problems.
3. Arrange a varied summer vacation for children
Parents should expose children to society more, allowing them to gain extracurricular knowledge. If there is no time for long-distance travel, parents can take children outdoors to get closer to nature. Furthermore, cultivating children’s good interests and hobbies, encouraging them to engage in activities with classmates and friends, is also a good choice.
4. Reasonably schedule holiday tutoring tasks
If parents want their children to study more during the holidays, they should adhere to the principles of appropriateness and moderation. This means selecting suitable tutoring classes without trying to cover every subject; allocating tutoring time in moderation without overly occupying the child’s vacation; gradually progressing to prevent a significant psychological gap in children.
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Guangzhou Angel Children’s Hospital
Healthy children, happy families!
