Plan Enjoyable Activities with Children on Break Holiday

Experts conveying that children have entered a difficult process with both social isolation and distance education during the pandemic period, advise families to keep their expectations of success from their children low. The experts, who advise parents to spend more time with their children during the interim holiday period, suggest that they plan enjoyable activities outside, especially in accordance with the physical distance rules.

Üsküdar University NP Feneryolu Medical Center Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Asst. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık evaluated the impact of the pandemic process on students and made recommendations regarding the upcoming interim holiday period.

Distance education forced both students and parents

Stating that there are problems in many aspects of life in the pandemic process, where health concerns are at the forefront in the world and in our country, Asst. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık emphasized that the online education system is a new and challenging process for both students, parents and educators. “Most of the children experienced difficulties in education in distance education, which replaced face-to-face education,” Assist. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık said, “They explained that they had difficulty understanding the lessons and paying attention to the lesson. "Some students did not attend the classes, some did not do their homework, some even though they said that they attended the class, they spent time on different activities such as computer games, social media, and the internet”.

Social isolation has led to mental health deterioration

Stating that especially children with little parental and teacher supervision do not benefit much from distance education, Asst. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık said that the changes in the examination system also cause problems in detecting such problems. Emphasizing, however, that responsible children and young people have increased their anxiety about success because they cannot learn as they wish. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık said, “The social isolation experienced by some children due to the pandemic may have caused mental health deterioration due to the relatives they lost and this situation reflected negatively on their lessons. Sometimes the parents who went through the same process could not find the strength to support the children in their own fatigue, ”he said.

Plan enjoyable activities with the children

Stating that families who listen to the child regardless of the problem and its source and determine the existing problems carefully, Asst. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık suggested that even if the duration of the holiday period is short, enjoyable activities should be held with children, and that children should be taken out by following the social distance rules at least 4-5 days a week.

Students must follow the lesson

Asst. Assoc. Dr. Başak Ayık listed her other recommendations as follows: “I recommend that parents reduce their expectations for success for this period. However, this should not be interpreted as completely ignoring education. Every student should at least fulfill school-related tasks such as attending classes, listening to lessons and doing homework. It is the responsibility of the parents to say and follow this in appropriate language. Parents can simply check whether the topics covered in the lessons are understood or not. In case of any malfunction in these tasks or in the presence of mental problems, additional educational support and support from child mental health specialists will allow the problems to be solved before they grow. "