As France concludes its third week of lockdown, children in Zone C will begin their holidays – or rather, stay on holiday – starting Monday, April 6th. For parents, this new phase of lockdown might bring a sense of relief (homeschooling wasn't always easy), but also a bit of stress (how will we keep them busy at home for two weeks?!).

In this article, we revisit the importance of these vacation weeks, and we will give you some ideas to make these staycations memorable moments for you and your child or children.

Why holidays are important, even during lockdown.

First of all, because they break the routine for everyone. The lockdown imposed a new organization and demanded a lot of adaptation from all family members. Any adaptation "costs" our emotional management system. Taking a break from this organization will enable us to return to it more serenely in two weeks' time.

Vacations also allow us to slow down our pace, to match our child's pace rather than the school curriculum or our work video conferences. The pressure is off, and we find what we were promised at the start of our lockdown, and which many parents have yet to find: time.

If you are not on vacation yourself, you will certainly enjoy it a little less, but it is still important to allow your child this break. Try to schedule some relaxing moments with them; it will do everyone a lot of good.

During holidays, your child learns differently, through play…

It cannot be stressed enough: children learn, grow, and live through play. Play is vital for children. From the age of 2 or 3, they are very drawn to imaginative and pretend play. Holidays are special times when children have plenty of time for these games.

For example, by playing doctor, children confront a real-life situation and practice experiencing and processing emotions, whether pleasant or not. By inventing worlds and stories with their knights, dolls, cars, and costumes, children develop their creativity and social skills.

Holidays provide real unstructured moments in your child's day, where they will seek to occupy themselves. Let's not forget that boredom is key to developing their creativity. It gives the child time to try, experiment, and develop their imagination.

... but also by participating in household life

Staycations are also a golden opportunity to teach your child to contribute to household life. Choose with your child, according to their age, a few responsibilities that will be theirs (making their bed, setting the table, feeding the dog) and support them in learning this task until they can do it independently.

Also invite them to cook with you, to wipe the windows with a damp cloth... ultimately, it doesn't matter if the result isn't perfect. It's an opportunity to spend quality time with your child, and it saves you the double task, which is very taxing on our patience, of trying to cook or clean while also responding to your child's demands.

How to bring a holiday feel to these weeks at home

However, even if we are convinced of the benefits of staying home for the holidays, there's always a touch of disappointment at the thought of not being able to travel. That's why it's also important to give these weeks a real holiday feel!

Here are some ideas to brighten up the next two weeks at home:

1. Change the setting or rhythm of the days a little: shift your children's bedtime, stay in pajamas in the mornings, add a family dance session before each snack... anything that "isn't as usual" can help create a holiday atmosphere.  
2. Invent themes for your evenings: board games, miming evenings, "everyone dresses up", or an evening around your photo albums to travel back in time....
3. Vary your meals: why not have a picnic in the living room on Sunday lunchtime? Or a 5-star meal followed by a grand ball, with everyone dressed up? Or, on the other hand, a silverware-free dinner in aperitif mode?
4. Leave without leaving! Choose a destination and build a day around it: Spain? Make a paella, dress up in red, yellow and black, improvise a flamenco dance routine and learn a few Spanish words together! Are you dreaming of India? A good curry, a bit of music and a few mandalas to color in as a family, you'll feel like you're there. And don't forget to write with your child a postcard for thier grandparents!

As adults, we place a lot of importance on holidays and the breath of fresh air they bring to our daily lives, and that's normal. Don't forget that the biggest breath of fresh air you can give your child is quality time with you. Whether in your living room or in the Caribbean, your child will primarily remember what you did together.

Happy holidays everyone!

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