Summer Vacation Should Be Educated, Not Merely Endured
Just before Israel’s long summer break begins, the article urges parents to stop treating it as something to survive and instead use it as a chance to educate. It says the school year has kept children and teens in routines of bells, tests and structure, but once that framework disappears, they face real freedom, and without preparation the summer can become a place of screens, loneliness and boredom.
The piece offers seven practical steps. Parents should set clear rules for screen time, especially during meals and at night, because limits are presented as protection for children’s mental health, not punishment. They should also teach critical viewing of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, asking children what influencers are selling and why seemingly perfect lives online may not be real.
The article argues that a strong self-image helps teenagers resist risky behavior, alcohol and late-night wandering, because they will feel less need to chase approval from peers. It warns that shaming and exclusion do not stop in summer, and may worsen when teachers are absent and WhatsApp groups become harsher, so children should be told not to join in if someone is left out.
Parents are also told to give each child goals for the break, such as reading two books, taking a digital course, improving English, working or volunteering. They should offer alternatives to empty screen time, including family trips, board games, youth movement activities, pool membership and household tasks. Above all, the article stresses that parents must model the behavior they demand, spend time with their children several times a week, and be genuinely present, not just preach, because the summer can either damage or strengthen family education.
