Academics of the Final International University Psychology program, have evaluated the upcoming exciting report card period and the following 15-day holiday.

Before the School Report Day and the start of half term break, experts pointed out some issues in terms of  students and their families. They underlined that, no matter what the results are on the school report,  during this period, families should have  a positive approach towards their children.

The experts also indicated  it should not be forgotten that the school term is a process which primary academic knowledge is learned, and that learning is a lifelong process. Families with high expectations may lead their children to experience negative emotions.

Weigh the level of your expectations

For children whose parents with particularly high expectations, the report period can be quite stressful and worrying. In fact, this is quite understandable, since, from an early age, the child is looking for answers to questions such as “am I enough ?” or “am I worthy?”

In this respect, it is common for children who are penalized, criticized and humiliated to  experience feelings of “inadequacy” or “worthlessness”. In addition, they can experience a range of emotions such as anxiety, guilt, shame, sadness,and anger towards themselves and their parents.

In case of intense pressure, these feelings can lead to a number of consequences, such as depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, which can be evaluated in a clinical context.

Therefore, according to the experts, a highly offensive process can start for the child; and they also reminded that families should evaluate themselves, handle their own dynamics as much as their children before the report period.

If a school report gift is the child’s expectation…

Emphasizing on the school report gift issue, Psychology experts say, the family may have expectations from the child, however, the child may also have demands regarding the report gift, therefore an appropriate gift should be given, taking into account the age of the student. In this respect, it was emphasized that the expectations and demands should remain at a realistic level.

The family expects appreciation from the child; in return, the child is expecting a bicycle from the family. You can’t expect a fish to climb a tree. The child may not come first in the school but he might be communicating very well with people, or the financial situation of the family may not be sufficient to buy bicycles, however they might have time to do an activity with their children.

Spend plenty of quality time during the holiday

Psychology experts, who say families’ support is important for kids to use their time efficiently during their holiday, underlined that it is essential to be interested in being creative regarding the opportunities that are available and families spend time with their children. In terms of activities which can be done, experts suggest these tips:

“If the child is assigned/suggested to a book to read during the holiday, child’s mother or father, or even both the parents should read the book at the same time, and a discussion time can be arranged later on. Besides this, they should do jig-saw puzzles together in order to prevent the child sitting in front of the TV all day long or wasting time on social media on the internet. During the holiday, children should be encouraged to do something. They should be encouraged to learn how to play a musical instrument, take an art class, take a dance class, take horse-riding lessons or other various similar activities. The most important thing is to spend time within the family regardless of age. Parents willing to raise well-mannered children should be able to offer love and understanding without relying on any assumptions  while they are communicating with each other including the report card period. It is a great chance both for parents and children to rest, relax and do something for themselves if they haven’t been confronted by any crisis during the report card period in terms of family relations. “