Cutoff Vacation. Try Hackation.

You may read the title as cutoff vacation or "cutoff vacation". The first one is much better than the second.

Cutoff. The word that gives nightmares for children. It definitely sends shivers through the spine. We are referring to cutoff in the context of marks. 

Thank god, i lived a generation earlier. The vacations we had are still fresh in our memory. At least we longed and lived for the days. The days of no rules. no plans. The only plan was "not to have a plan". Though short lived, it had the inertia to see through the grueling, forthcoming year.

The cutoff works in many ways. it's something like a Swiss military knife. Has the ability to cutoff many interesting things from the life a child. It also cuts many things off - parents, industry and society. It seems to cutoff the relationship with every one and everything. Even the very subjects they are supposed to learn.

The typical itinerary for "cutoff vacation" -.

- Complete the next year syllabus in this vacation (what do we do for the whole year).

- Put them into a coaching class so that they can catch up  (Brain is not a dust bin to dump things)

- Do something useful (what are we doing the whole year)

So, this time don't give your child the "cutoff vacation". Try Hackation.

A typical itinerary for Hackation

- begin with enjoying laziness. Just do things very, very slowly. do nothing at all. 

- catch up with friends, relatives, movies... there are many more. what ever the child feels is important

- Give responsibility (no attendance and timelines please). 

- Allow them to explore . See the child as to have a mind of its own. we have got used to see "it" as a brain. Effect of computers and its processors.

Let children decide what they want to do. let them make mistakes. allow them to correct themselves. remember we (parents, teachers, society) have been controlling, instructing, pushing, pestering and 'inging' them on many other things; for most part of the year. The children are expected to live our life. Lets understand, they have a life of their own. Scientists talk about universe or multi-universe. Every child has its own world or its own universe. May be beyond that.  we don't know. 

Just ask them about their world.  It would definitely be very rich. We will be surprised. Pleasantly.

Given time, space and responsibility, (just a few that i came across) 

An unbelievable social transformation

                                     

An attempt to bring power to rural villages

                                      

Self-Responsibility

So, lets give them the break. they seem know more than us. it is their generation. just keep faith in our children. given a choice, they will settle only for the best. The best in the sense of their inherent strength or potential. 

In the age of technology, with information at the finger tips, global teachers.. it is a decision to make. Elders (grown physically) have to make a decision. 

The decision is to allow children to make their own.

Let them enjoy "hackation". A life long vacation.