Do Children Really Need to Learn Over the Christmas Holidays?

Christmas can be a busy time for everyone. School finishes, routines change and suddenly there are presents to buy, places to be and family time to enjoy.

So, do children really need to be learning over the Christmas holidays?

Honestly? Not necessarily.

As a parent myself, I'm certainly not looking to spend my Christmas holidays trying to turn every activity into a learning opportunity. Sometimes children just need a proper break from school, and so do we!

Children need time to switch off

School is hard work. Children spend their days concentrating, following routines, managing friendships, completing tasks and taking in new information.

A few weeks away from that isn't going to undo all their learning.

Rest and downtime are important too. Children need time to play, relax, spend time with family and friends, enjoy their hobbies or simply do absolutely nothing.

They don't need every minute of their holiday to be productive.

What about reading and revision?

If your child enjoys reading over the holidays, that's fantastic. A book they have chosen themselves is very different from being told they need to complete a reading task.

For older pupils, particularly those in S4–S6 with January prelims or assessments coming up, some revision may be sensible. However, this doesn't mean they need to spend their entire holiday studying.

A few short, focused revision sessions can be much more useful than hours spent staring at notes when they're tired and would rather be doing something else.

You don't need to be their teacher

It's easy as a parent to feel that you should be doing more to support your child's learning, particularly if they're finding school difficult.

Please don't feel guilty about letting them have a break.

You don't need to turn Christmas dinner into a maths lesson, quiz them on their times tables while wrapping presents or find an educational activity for every rainy afternoon!

Enjoy being together. Let them play. Let them be bored. Let them watch films, see friends and enjoy Christmas.

There will be plenty of time for schoolwork when January comes around.

When the holidays are over

Sometimes, a proper break is exactly what a child needs before returning to learning with a little more energy and motivation.

If, once the holidays are over, you're concerned about your child's progress, confidence or how they're managing with their schoolwork, that's when some additional support might be helpful.

If you think your child could benefit from some extra support, get in touch with My Primary and Secondary Tutor. Our qualified teachers provide online tutoring for pupils from P1 through to S6, helping them build confidence alongside their learning.

For now, though, give yourself and your child permission to enjoy the holidays.

Sometimes taking a break from learning is exactly what children need.