CB blog 2 - Summer vacations

With time the kids grow. But not too much. By the age of 9-10 ie class 4-5 onwards the summer vacations turn into an ordeal for parents. Schools to showcase and promote themselves hold exhibitions and the work falls not on the students but rather on their parents.

How can you otherwise expect these 9-10 year olds working using cursive writing on charts, cutting and pasting thermocol (something I find extremely difficult even now), making model of things they do not even have a clue of ???? When i was young i used to look forward for my aunt to visit us so that i could get my homework done. And nowdays my aunts look forward to come and visit so that my sister and I can help with our cousin's homework.

This demand for models/charts has resulted in quite a few shops propping up that specialize in the craft arts. So the homework which should have rather been a way of parent children bonding has been reduced to a buy-sell deal. And school teachers instead of recognizing the mediocre but original work also show preference for the professional work.
Parents too believe that by buying models they are actually easing their kid's life but they are losing out on the time of interaction. This is one of the most crucial time they can spend and help their kids with.

Well the summer vacations are not just about homework, these are seen as the best time to engage in some extra curricular activities. These were the times when kids could engage in some art/craft, learn their favourite sports etc. But now this too has been turned into a means to beat the rat race. There has been a spurt in summer camps, classes for kids to learn varied stuff. All this would have been good had the child's interest been of prime concern. But what workshop the kids join is usually dictated either by peer pressure ( among the parents that is) or parents trying to impose their own unfulfilled desires on the kids.