by Ginger Joe
School Teacher

Your child’s sitting on the edge of his seat awaiting the last school bell to ring for the 2011 semester and in their minds they’re thinking:

A time to relax, a time to be free,

A time to chill out, a time to be me

A time for everything I couldn't do at school

A time for every purpose for these two weeks to be cool.

I can imagine some of them are thinking they’ll just sleep and watch TV all day. But wait don’t let them fall through the cracks that easily!  I believe the most important thing to remember is to keep your child active and engaged in something during their 2 weeks off from school. Life is too short to be spent sleeping or watching TV all day.  I’m not knocking that sleep isn’t good for your child but sleeping the entire day for 2 weeks seems a bit much and time ill spent. Also, I have nothing against watching TV, but I do limit myself to no more than 3 hours a day. I have my favorite programs that I watch, Bones, Crossing Jordan, Long Island Medium, DYI, Facing Trauma, Bizarre ER, House Hunters, Cake Boss, Iron Chef, Restaurant Impossible, 20 Kids and Counting, The Little Couple, etc. But to spend the entire day as a couch potato puts young growing minds into a vegetative mode. You as parents have the privilege and responsibility to share the world with your child during this Winter Break. 

Don’t forget that with technology at our hands the world is easily accessible for learning 24/7—web quests, virtual tours, etc. In our digital age, kids are more technologically savvy, which is why a lot of educational computer games and video games have been designed to teach children basic concepts such as strategy, the importance of team work, along with enhancing focus and concentration. No matter how much you may be against it, video games are engaging and increase focus among those who use them. It is this engaging quality that is now utilized by game designers worldwide to impart education by a medium that is fun. Puzzles, games that increase word power, games that improve memory power, that teach complex scientific concepts in a simple manner, are all available to help kids enhance their learning. That’s why when kids come to my hospital classroom we utilize the computer as much as possible to keep learning exciting and motivating. 

I realize you can’t force your child to do something, but you can guide them and provide them with opportune learning experiences. You don’t have to be rich to provide quality time with your kids, just a golden heart. The important thing to remember as parents is that you are the most important teachers in your child's life—whew that’s a load off of me. Children are born eager to learn, but you as parents need to help them channel that learning. Children who have a broad foundation of knowledge and background on a variety of subjects will find school and learning easier and more interesting than those who do not. So find time to enjoy your kids during this Winter Break. Go out and try something new together!

Learning how to get the best from children can be very rewarding and also very empowering. Witnessing children's behavior being very positive and knowing we have raised them to grow into happy, intelligent, well adjusted teens and adults, is the ultimate goal for all of us. After all learning theorists agree that we learn and retain more through meaningful experiences and not just through osmosis with textbook materials. So, how can we keep that continuous learning going and not drive ourselves mental in feeling guilty? I came across these two great websites: 

• Top 10 Educational Winter Break Activities for Elementary and Middle Schoolers
• Educational Winter Break Activities for Teens 

Remember, it’s all up to you. 

No time to feel down and blue.

You’ve gotta  plan for something do.

There are many young minds 

Ready to blossom into great Einsteins

Find time for your child this season

Encourage him to learn for all the right reasons.