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Experts advise parents to keep children active during long summer break

By Sawsan Tabazah - Jul 01,2016 - Last updated at Jul 01,2016

AMMAN — As children enjoy a long break from school over the summer, experts warn that too much unstructured leisure time can have negative consequences for young people.

Without careful planning, the summer break can result in “disorders and imbalances” in young people’s personalities, according to Hussein Mahadeen, associate professor of sociology at Mutah University. 

Long hours of leisure time can cause behavioural problems which may lead to social withdrawal and violence, the professor told The Jordan Times recently. 

"Social withdrawal is a symptom of anxiety,” said Mahadeen, explaining that young people sometimes isolate themselves by staying in their rooms away from their families, rather than spending their time improving their social skills. 

Shatha Abu Hamdeh, a child psychologist, said prolonged periods of leisure time can lead to boredom, stress, laziness and aggression if young people have no motivation and nothing to invest their energy in. 

Children might become aggressive towards their siblings as a projection of their problems if they stop meeting with friends, Abu Hamdeh noted. 

Some teenagers suffer from isolation, which can morph into personality disorders and long-term problems adapting
to life, she said. 

"Long periods of leisure time might lead teenagers to use the Internet in an inappropriate way, for example by watching pornographic films," she added. 

Families should plan beneficial activities like summer clubs, gyms and volunteering for their children, the psychologist suggested. 

"Volunteering gives children and teenagers the feeling of accomplishment and independence, and the feeling that they are valuable, in addition to mood enhancement and improvements in the social aspects of their personality," she said, noting that volunteering helps teenagers to overcome social phobia and anxiety.  

Abu Hamdeh stressed that mothers should monitor their children’s eating habits as sometimes boredom causes increased appetites, leading to weight gain. 

For Mahadeen, time is a valuable and scarce resource that should be divided into three activities: “time to fulfil basic needs like eating, time for studying and free time”.

 

The professor warned that Jordanians do not pay enough attention to time management and instead spend their time randomly. 

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