A dream summer without a packed schedule of extra classes.
"I want to sleep until 8 a.m., have breakfast, then play with Lego, and in the afternoon, play soccer with my friends. That's all," Trần Hữu Minh Khang, a 4th-grade student at Nguyễn Trung Trực Primary School (Thủ Đức Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), answered immediately when asked about his "dream summer." Instead of being excited about the long holiday, Khang said that in just a few days he will start his summer classes, which include English, critical thinking math, and life skills classes. "Mom says that a long summer break makes you forget what you've learned. But I'm always in school, so I feel tired," Khang said.
Some children wish they could have a relaxing summer vacation instead of constantly attending extra classes.
PHOTO: LAN VY
Eighth-grade student Tran Van Minh, residing on 3/2 Street, Dien Hong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, also confided: "During the summer, all I wish for is to stay home and play games, but my parents always make me go to extra classes, and I'm so tired." According to Minh, he has been studying all year and just wants a complete summer vacation, with time to play video games or lie down and read books without being complained about.
Nguyen Thi Ha Ngan, a 7th-grade student at Nguyen Chi Thanh Secondary School (Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said that what she would enjoy most if she had complete control over her summer is reading comic books and practicing drawing. "Every year, my mother sends me to extra classes and piano lessons. I don't hate studying, but if I'm still studying all summer, it feels too much like the school year," Ngan said.
Some children said they simply hoped to have the opportunity to read comic books to their heart's content during the summer.
PHOTO: LAN VY
Vu Hoang Nam, a 6th-grade student at Nguyen Huu Tho Secondary School (Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), wishes he could spend a whole month at his maternal grandparents' home in Dong Thap province. "There's a river in the countryside, and I have cousins to play with. In the evenings, I can sit in the yard and eat fruit. I like it more than in the city," Nam said.
When thinking about their dream summer, some children simply wish their parents were less busy. "I want Dad to take me out for breakfast more often," said Hoang Thi Kim Huyen, a third-grade student at Tran Hung Dao Primary School (Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). Huyen also added, "I want Mom to stop using her phone when she talks to me."
Vu Kim Vy, a 7th-grade student at Nguyen Du Secondary School (Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said that since both her parents are in business, she often stays at home with the housekeeper: "I like it when the whole family goes somewhere nearby on weekends. Because if everyone is busy during the summer, it's just like any other day."
Some children simply wish their parents would spend more time with them, experiencing a meaningful summer together.
PHOTO: LAN VY
Some activities that adults consider "purposeless" are actually ideal summer pastimes for children. Tran Thi Thu Nhu, an 8th-grade student at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School (Dien Hong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said: "I want to watch cartoons all afternoon, ride my bike in the apartment complex courtyard, play in the water, plant trees, or simply do nothing at all."
Parents need to listen to their children's needs.
According to psychologist Le Thi Thu Thanh from the Inner Light Psychological Counseling Center in Binh Tay Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, some parents often assume that children "know nothing," so adults must make all the decisions for them. However, in reality, when asked seriously, many children are able to express their needs very clearly. "They know what makes them happy, what makes them stressed, and what makes summer memorable," Ms. Thanh said.
According to Ms. Thanh, many parents are afraid their children will fall behind, so they try to fill the holidays with packed schedules. But for children, sometimes summer just needs to be a time to "breathe" more slowly.
Similarly, Trần Thị Ngọc Bích, a 9th-grade student residing on Phạm Viết Chánh Street, Thạnh Mỹ Tây Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "I know my parents want what's best for me, that's why they let me attend extra classes, but I also hope they understand that I want to have a summer to have fun and create memories, not just focus on studying."
Children need time to truly play, free from schoolwork and academic achievement.
PHOTO: LAN VY
According to life skills expert Phan Thanh Vuong from Skill Up Center, Duc Nhuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, the most important thing during the summer is for children to recover their mental energy after a stressful school year. He believes that some families are unintentionally "usurping their children's right to rest" by imposing too many expectations. "Adults often think that sending their children to extra classes is a way of showing love. But if the summer schedule is so packed that children have no time to play, rest, or explore nature, then summer loses its original meaning," Mr. Vuong stated.
According to expert Thanh Vuong, play is not a wasted activity. When children are allowed to play freely, they learn how to communicate, be creative, solve problems, and understand their own emotions. "There are lessons that don't come from the classroom, but from children climbing trees, going back to their hometown, arguing with friends and then making up," Mr. Vuong said. He also emphasized that children need to participate in the decision-making process for their summer, instead of just listening to announcements from their parents. "Adults should ask their children what they want, what they like, and how they feel. That's also a way to help children learn the skills of making choices and taking responsibility."
Ms. Thanh believes that adults are often very good at planning for children but rarely take the time to truly listen to them. Meanwhile, children today face more pressure than previous generations: academic pressure, expectations for achievement, packed schedules, and even loneliness in urban areas. She suggests that parents can start with very simple questions: "What do you want to do this summer?", "What makes you happiest?", "What new things do you want to try?". "When children are listened to, they feel respected. That is an important foundation for healthy psychological development," Ms. Thanh said.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/neu-duoc-tu-thiet-design-mua-he-ly-tuong-tre-em-mong-gi-18526051914360125.htm
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