Summer holidays: The best time of the year

Summer holidays are at our doorsteps, once again. I’m sure many of you have already booked your tickets for the long or short term trips you have been planning for months, and are busy packing your bags, etc. for these long-awaited trips.

Some of us will visit our grandparents and larger families in other cities or towns where rare fruits, refreshing rains, the lush green expanse, the aroma of the wet Earth and the swaying branches and the dancing lilies await you.

Are you among those whose bags are packed or amongst those who will have to think of ways to enjoy the spell of summer at home?

Whether or not we have some place to go and enjoy, and whether or not we are compelled to be at some place or not — every scene, every situation offers a choice, though. Therein lies the beauty of life. We may not have a choice regarding spending the summers at home, but we have a choice in terms of what we do while we are home. We can fret and fume; sigh and slow down. Or, we can make it an action-packed and joyous summer, with some visible signs of blooming in the process.

For the parents, these months can be those rare and precious time-with-kids months. The kids do not have to go to school; there is no homework and pressure of performance. Parents have hectic schedules and are busy throughout the year. Now is the time to talk to children, as they are at home. And, most important — you have time to listen to them. You can be the vacation-teacher and counsellor, this summer and teach them the values, history and culture of India, while also listening to their woes.

And, for all the growing kids?

Well, all those indoor games must certainly be waiting to come out of the drawers. When was the last time you had a carom duel with your sibling or friend? Or perhaps a friendly badminton match? Over popcorn and lemonade, we can play scrabble at home or teach our younger brothers and sisters a few moves of chess or laugh out loud as a snake bites you and you fall off the ladder on the board! There are cards and Antakshari for spicing up the evenings, and bedtime stories and sky-gazing for the night, too. All those capitals and currencies you wanted to learn about and all those dusty pages of the encyclopaedia which you have always wanted to take a look at — you can do it, this summer. Story books and comics can be purchased, borrowed from friends or rented out from the few libraries nearby. The entire family can have happy-cooking-hours, with everybody jostling for space in the kitchen and together dishing out some creatively conceived delicacies.

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