Posted at 7:00 p.m.
“I don’t give anything at all,” announces Isabelle Bégin, mother of two girls aged 6 and 10. On the other hand, I offer them a break of a full week, without schedule, obligation or task. They do what they want, when they want! »
This means that the two girls eat at the time they want, make screen time at will (in the morning, specifies Mme Bégin), do not have chores to do at home. Eating Halloween candy for lunch? Why not ! Lunch three hours after getting up? No problem. Not picking up his clothes or tidying up his room? No problem.
If she admits practicing letting go during this week, Isabelle Bégin also takes advantage of this moment to observe what her daughters will do with all this unstructured time. “It allows me to see their true rhythm,” explains the 40-year-old Rimouski.
It’s quite an interesting experience! It gives them the freedom to invent games and above all, it allows them to quit.
Isabelle Begin
photo provided by Sophie Périard
Noémie, 9 years old, and Vincent, 12 years old
For Sophie Périard, from Cantley in the Outaouais, the end-of-year reward is a tradition: her mother did it when she was little and she continued the ritual. “It marks the end of something,” said the mother of Noémie, 9, and Vincent, 12. We like to offer them a surprise and it often revolves around equipment for playing outside, a scooter, balls, skipping ropes, for example. »
What does it reward? Not the academic results, but the efforts. “I like to point out the fact that we went through it,” she laughs.
Cynthia Tremblay, mother of two children aged 8 and 9, agrees: the end of the year not only marks the culmination of a school stage for the children, but also the end of the involvement for the parents. . “It’s the end of lunches, tasks related to homework and lessons, and a certain more rigid routine. That’s all we celebrate,” said the Chambly resident.
Photo Philippe Boivin, THE PRESS
Cynthia Tremblay and Gabriel Prévost with their children, Élie and Lexie
What does it offer its foams? A small gift of their choice. ” Anything ! I do not care. Of course I have a budget and I want to respect it. It can be a stuffed animal, clothing, a toy, jewelry or a restaurant outing. »
Geneviève Leblond, from Cap-Rouge, likes to offer experiences to her three young people aged 8, 9 and 11. “I want to highlight their efforts, their sacrifices, their discipline and their perseverance, says the 38-year-old mother, and I do so through family moments. This year, we will go to the spa, I think! Another time, we had a sushi dinner. »
Reward efforts
According to psychoeducator Stéphanie Deslauriers, rewarding children at the end of the year is a great idea…if the emphasis is on effort and not on grades. “It could pose a performance challenge and create or increase performance anxiety,” she explains. It would be like saying to the child: “Love has to be earned, it’s conditional on your results”! »
Photo Studio Baron Photo, provided by Stéphanie Deslauriers
Stephanie Deslauriers
Parents can choose, for example, at the beginning of the year, to set “realistic and achievable” goals, she explains; the children are then stimulated and motivated by the achievement of these objectives. “It reinforces the feeling of competence, self-confidence, self-esteem and underlines the importance of perseverance,” says Ms.me Deslauriers.
She reminds us that the reward does not need to be expensive. A host of free activities are offered in cities, parks, festivals and it’s a great way to celebrate the start of the holidays, as a family.
“We must not forget that we adults, if there is something we don’t like to do, we can choose not to do it or to do it less,” she says, “but children who don’t like school don’t have the choice to go there every day. School is compulsory! In this sense, celebrating the end of the year means recognizing that it is not always easy, that we understand and that we are proud of them! »