‘Festivals are a way to bring you closer to your families.’
Our country, India, is a land of diverse cultures and festivities. Festivals form an eternal part of our lives. Be they religious, national, harvest or seasonal, the people of our country exhibit the true essence of joy, celebration, spirit, passion and togetherness.One such festival that adds vibrant huesto our lives is the Festival of Colours—HOLI. This lively celebration is the festival of love and sharing. The day when all meet, laugh, play & forget all enmities, embracing each other in peace and harmony.Everyone participates whole-heartedly, with great excitement, on this joyous occasion. The vigour & momentum of the fiesta transfers to each & every individual, thereby leaving them tired & drained out at the end of the day.
With the festive zeal gaining control over everyone, there is‘No Time’ to rest or to rejuvenate. Among the whole lot of people, our little children are the most excited during the celebrations.
As a result, this festival brings about fatigue and stress, which if not dealt with effectiveness, would eventually lead to a lot of pressure and anxiety, especially for our little children. Hence, today, being a parent myself, I would like to take up this opportunity to share my views with you and also suggest some means to invigorate and revitalise yourselves as well as the little ones, post Holi celebration.
PLAN & ORGANISE FOR THE AFTERTIME --- Children are excited during festive seasons as they get to meet & interact with their friends and family. With the festive season getting over, we all tend to move back to our regular mundane routines, but not our children. They tend to get lonely and depressed as they start missing their friends & relatives. Rather than forcing them to get back into their routines immediately, parents should plan ways to bring them slowly into their schedules. They should try to spend some concrete time with them by involving them in some leisure activities as little play, light dance, book reading, etc. Arranging a get together of their friends is also a very effective way of easing them from the pain of separation.
EAT HEALTHY—Proper nutrition is very important to overcome stress, especially for children during the festive season. The best diet to help children handle stress is the right and balanced amount of calories to maintain normal development. Help them avoid overconsumption of junk foods, beverages and sweets during the festival. Reduce sugar intake for children as it would raise their sugar levels and make them hyperactive. Make them consume healthy and nutritious food as much as possible.
REST &GOOD SLEEP– Sleep is an integral part of our life. To keep mind fresh and active, an appropriate amount of sleep is a must. Sleep not only helps a person relax, it also rejuvenates and refreshes the mind, thereby making the person active for next day’s work. Make children sleep at the right time to ensure their sound health. A good night’s sleep of around 8-10 hours will work wonders in their activity & disposition.
REGULAR BREAKS-- After the busy festive season, children are in no mood to spend time on studies or other tasks of importance as the festive spirit has taken a hold on them. In this case, breaking up study sessions is a great idea. Segregate time for study as well as play, rest as well as learning. Moreover, the breaks that the child gets would help in revitalisingand energising him.
Above all, radiate love and affection always & extend the required support to help your child adjust back to her everyday routine.
(Authored by Meenal Arora, Executive Director of SHEMROCK Preschools & the Founder Director of SHEMFORD Futuristic Schools)
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