By Manjima Dhakal

Kathmandu, Oct. 18: Do you tell your kids that you are irritated because you have to pass the whole day with them during their long school holidays?
If so, you are making them suffer from emotional depredation. Not spending more time with children and feeling irritated while passing times with children during holidays is a blunder on the part of parents that may invite troubles to the kids, psychologists said.
According to psychologists, irritation shown by the parents to their children may create problems in the bond between the parents and children for long time, psychologists said.
Now, many schools have remained closed for the long festival vacation of up to one month from Dashain to Tihar. The long vacation has become a burden to many working parents and guardians to handle their restive children.
Mina Ojha, a mother of two sons aged six and 10 years, said she could not have time to take deep breath during school vacation.
According to Ojha, her children have a tendency to break or throw household objects here and there while they are at home. While they engage in their mischievous activities, the parents like use are always nervous whether they would fall and get hurt, she said. So, she feels safe when her children are at the school.
Many parents feel the same as Ojha feels. They want no more long vacation for their wards as they become unable to handle them.
Psychologists, however, said that the vacation is a good time to make children engage in extracurricular activities and to take them outside for a trip which is very supportive to broaden the mind of children.
If the parents do not interact verbally with their wards, the children may think that their parents have gotten bored with them, Dr. Rabi Shrestha, psychologist said. If the situation like this arises, children could gradually fall into depression which directly affects their mental growth, Shrestha added.
According to Shrestha, up to two weeks’ break in study is a most appropriate time for facilitating children’s healthy growing, Shrestha added.
Dr. Richa Amatya, another psychologist, said, “We can spend children’s vacation happily if we will provide them with daily routines of homework activities, playing time, visiting time and reading time.
“If the parents feel irritated with children, the children are likely to feel mental depredation and they will feel reluctant to get close with their parents even after they grow up,” Amatya added.
Likewise, many guardians have a tendency of giving electronic gadgets to the children to keep them inactive. But doctors said excessive use of such gadgets may create problems in their mental health.
Dr. Arun Kunwar, child psychologist, suggested that a child should be allowed to have electronic devices up to one hour

a day during school days and up to two hours a day during vacation days. Children could learn many things from the electronic devices, but extreme use could create have adverse impact on their mental health, Kunwar added.
Kunwar said engaging children in small household works like cleaning homes, washing clothes and other small works and teaching them about life skills are a good way to help them spend their times constructively. After accomplishment of the duty, the children should be encouraged by providing them with rewards of their likings, Kunwar added.