You will run throughout the year, between school, extra-curricular activities, work… Breathe! It’s time to take full advantage of the great family holidays, without stress. Here are the tips of Marianne Bille, psychologist and family therapist to let go
The school year is punctuated by a very precise calendar and we rarely find the time to take full advantage of family time. If the rituals and frameworks are both reassuring for the parents and structuring for the children, they can quickly become cumbersome and tiring, generating certain tensions at the end of the year. “The start of the holidays allows the installation of other rituals, chosen by parents and childrenand no longer dictated by professional or school constraints“, explains Marianne Bille, psychologist and family therapist. The key word for these summer holidays is letting go. Here are her tips for releasing the pressure of everyday life and having a good family holiday:
1 – Find activities to do as a family
For the specialist, every family needs find your rhythm through activities that bring pleasure to everyone. “Doing this together is good because it is a source of emotionally positive interactions, new experiences, discoveries and helps to regain social cohesion.. It can be a cultural visitof a sport in which all the members of the family participate… The idea is to have fun together.
2 – Do not shield your schedule too much
On vacation, we release the pressure, but also the rhythm. No need to plan 10 activities per day for fear that the children would be bored. You can alternate for example an excursion or two per week, but no need to run on vacation. On the contrary, take the opportunity to relax and let your children rest. The risk, if you load your vacation schedule with a ton of activities and outings, you might come back to work even more tired.
3 – Let the kids get bored
The psychologist recommends that parentsalternate moments in common, with the children, but also plan times when young and old are bored and sit in their quiet room. After a few minutes, they will inevitably find a game to play at their own pace, and thus develop their imagination. They can also tackle their traditional holiday notebook or do manual activities such as summer crafts without the help of mom or dad. Here are some ideas for children’s activities to do:
4 – Take time for yourself
Dropping out during the holidays is also valid for you, the parents “in order to find lightness and carelessness”, recommends Marianne Bille. During these moments just for you, you can take the opportunity to do activities that you love but that you put off every time: a haircut at the hairdresser, a treatment in a beauty salon, a little shopping, a walk in a park, a moment to write in your notebook if you have one, a reading break on the terrace of a café in the sun, etc.