How to Turn School Break Into Meaningful Family Time

On the first day, we tried to make it big.

We took out the inflatable from storage,
prepared a festive breakfast,
danced, laughed —
I felt like I was in a dream.

On the second day, the level of arguments between them started to rise —
in a worrying way.

We managed to get through it
by going on a trip to the new store in town
and bought lots of accessories and games that lift the mood.

On the third day, things got a bit more complicated.

They woke up in the morning with nothing much to do,
so at some point we escaped to the car
and drove to visit Grandma.

By the fourth day,
we paused.

I reminded myself — that’s not the point,
to find them a new attraction every single day.

The real wisdom
is to come out of this break happier
than we went into it.

And that means
connecting more deeply with each other.

If the focus is only on
the biggest, most exciting attraction,
the main point is lost.

The real opportunity that this vacation holds,
at least in my eyes,
is to grow, to develop,
to become better than we were
when we started it.

Here are five guiding principles to turn moments with your children
into a springboard for deeper connection:

Respect –
Respect them. Even the longest crying and the most “silly” argument.
One of the great rabbis once said that a doll breaking for a little girl
is like a house burning down for us.
Don’t forget that.

Love –
Do everything you can to truly feel this emotion
spreading within you and filling you with warmth —
and express it to them in kind, loving words.
It nourishes their soul. And nothing is sweeter from a mother.

Talk –
Talk to them. Share your world with them.
See them as real companions.
You’ll be surprised how wise they are,
and what golden insights can come from them.

Let go –
Let them go. Let yourself go with them.
They go through a lot, these “little big” children.
There are tensions at school, complicated friendships,
pressures and expectations.
Help them release what’s unnecessary.
It’s not healthy to carry it all inside.

Laugh –
Laugh. Laugh a lot.
They won’t remember most of what you said when they grow up.
They will remember who you were for them.

Avital Ohayon holds a master’s degree in art therapy and is the founder of a program that trains facilitators in self-healing within relationships.