Adults have retreats. Perhaps kids should too?

Over the last few months there have been many articles in the news about phone free schools (Barnet being the first borough to ban smartphones in schools) and the damage smartphones have on teenage brains including Jonathon Haidt’s ‘The Anxious generation’. As I plan summer itineraries for my trips and now being on half term myself it allows me time to reflect on the importance of rest and resetting both for adults and for children. Retreats have been trending in the UK and abroad for years. There are yoga retreats, writing retreats, wellness retreats, coaching retreats and far more adventurous ones too. The benefits of being around nature are endless. I myself have benefited from ones where I have spent time away from my phone and either worked or reflected in structured time with self care embedded. When I speak to parents in London over half term whether it be my doctor or dentist parents say ‘my child is bored’. This differs from children who are more used to ‘playing’ and perhaps have grown up with less screen time and more space to run around. Of course financial worries come into this and for some parents taking the time off to take their children to a park or a holiday is difficult especially in the current cost of living crisis. I am pleased that the summer trips where students can play and learn and be children in beautiful locations are taking place where parents can pay gradually in instalments and that more parents are acknowledging the importance of less screen time. Have you got your child's summer sorted? Contact us for more information!