Young children (and very often adults) find it difficult to manage their free time. However, parents are the first and fundamental role model in this regard. They have an incredible opportunity to develop their children's passions, teach them to properly plan and manage their time, as well as to rest. Doing so, they can support their comprehensive development and help them form proper habits for the future. Every day, free time should be used for rest, entertainment, and the development of interests and talents.
Properly planned rest impacts a child’s cognitive abilities, thus affecting learning efficiency. Therefore, doing homework immediately after returning from school is not the best idea. Before moving on to other responsibilities, a child should rest - listen to music, an audiobook, lie down for a while, go for a walk, eat a meal.
Activities undertaken for entertainment purposes aim to improve mood and release emotions. Often, they also positively affect a child's cognitive development. Playing with blocks allows concentration and calming down, while simultaneously improving visual perception and fine motor skills. Team games help release emotions and promote social development. Time spent at home provides space for building closer family relationships.
It is definitely worth supporting and motivating a child to explore and develop their talents and interests. However, keep in mind that younger children are in a phase of exploration. It is common for a child to want to quit singing lessons after a few sessions, only to want to start judo training a week later. This is completely natural - a young person needs to experience and try things in order to ultimately discover their true passion. A child can also freely develop their interests in the comfort of their home - painting, sculpting, writing stories.
Sometimes parents (of course, with the best intentions) fill their child’s day schedule with successive activities, unfortunately, forgetting about the two previous, equally important functions of free time - rest and relaxation. It is important that a child's free time is not always meticulously planned. Remember that "boredom" is a field for creative thinking. It teaches independent decision-making, recognizing one’s own needs, and managing time.
Properly planned and tailored to the needs and capabilities of the child, rest promotes comprehensive development, allows for the release of emotions, increases motivation to expand knowledge and acquire new skills. Managing time is one of the things that a young person must learn. How an adult will utilize their free time largely depends on the space provided by parents, guardians, or teachers.
- Pedagogue Klaudia Sokołowska-Baryś for Marioinex Education