Summer Holidays are Important
Over the past 2 weeks, both of our homes have managed to take the kids away for a summer holiday. They’ve had a great time caravanning by the seaside. So what? Tons of people go away. Tons don’t.
Well, something as simple as those caravans can have a major impact on our lives. Particularly for disadvantaged children who have never had the opportunity to holiday before. So what benefits does a good, happy holiday actually bring?
A Break of Routine
As the name implies, a summer break does indeed break up your routine. And having the chance to step out of the norm allows us to take a closer look at all the things we normally do. We can see things from a new perspective and maybe identify what isn’t working for us, what we could do differently, or other things that we would like to include in our lives.
More Time Together
Being away from home, there are fewer distractions to keep everyone occupied. This means more time spent together for kids and their caregivers. Whether it’s relaxing on a beach or kayaking rapids, having a good time with each other builds stronger bonds and lasting memories – in fact, surveys have shown about half of people say their happiest memories are from a holiday, and a quarter of people rely on those happy memories when times get tough! You may feel like you’re living in the moment, but really you are living for the future.
New Conversations
Studies have found that only a quarter of kids will talk to their caregivers about “things that matter” frequently. The vast majority of conversations are about what happened that day. Breaking that routine, combined with spending more time doing things together, allows for far more topics of conversation to come up. This leads to stronger, more insightful connections between children and those caring for them. And stronger relationships lead to a whole host of mental and physical health benefits for everyone.
Outdoors
While away from home, we are far more likely to participate in various outdoors activities. Even just lounging outside is easier when we don’t have the temptation of all our stuff being just the other side of the door. And as much of a classic as “getting some fresh air” is, being outdoors does give some real benefits to both mental and physical health. It helps us feel more connected to the rest of the world, and gives a boost to mood and confidence. It also encourages our immune systems to get stronger, helping us shrug off things like viruses and even tumours.
From building current relationships, to setting a solid foundation for their own mental wellbeing (plus all the physical health benefits along the way), a good summer holiday is a must-have for any child. Especially those who have never experienced any of that before.
We are so pleased that both of our homes managed to offer this to all their children, and that things went so smoothly for them all. Everyone – kids and carers alike – had a really good time together, and even if they don’t realise it, they will all be better off for it.