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Closing a Chapter: How to support the end of the school year and start the Summer calmly

June arrives, and with it, the end of the school year—eagerly awaited by some and dreaded by others.

For adults, it can sometimes mean exhaustion, reports, and the all-too-familiar phrase: “Now what do I do with the kids?”

For children, the end of the school year is also a special time, filled with many emotions, but often accompanied by uncertainties they don’t always know how to express in words.

Closing the school year is more than packing up books and cleaning out notebooks and assignments.

A school year brings learning, challenges, new friendships, achievements… but also frustration, mistakes, and difficult moments. For any child, ending a school year means being able to integrate all of that.

From my perspective as an Educational Psychologist, I like to encourage parents and teachers to find time and space to accompany children during this transition. This can include actions such as:

  • Recalling and talking about experiences
  • Saying goodbye to the classroom, teachers, and classmates
  • Valuing what they’ve learned through lived experiences and lessons
  • Becoming aware of their own growth and personal change
  • Reflecting on the difficulties they faced and how they managed to overcome them

We also need to recognize that some children will feel sadness—whether it’s saying goodbye to a teacher, a friend who’s leaving, or due to uncertainty about what the next school year will bring. It’s important to validate and support these emotions.

And in summer?

Let’s start with the idea that summer shouldn’t be a time full of activities. What children really need is real rest—genuine downtime. A break from the school schedule, from routines, from noise and pressure. Time to be bored, to grow in independence, to awaken their creativity, and to simply enjoy free play.

If you’re not sure what that might look like, here’s my list of ideas:

  • Screen-free time—without guilt-tripping. Depending on the age of your children, I know this can be a big challenge, and we as parents also need to be prepared. Children should have time each day to play a new game (or return to an old one), to experiment with materials, invent, create, explore their surroundings, and discover.
  • Small responsibilities that bring them closer to daily family life. Set the table, load the dishwasher, make their beds, vacuum…
  • Opportunities for free reading. During the school year, kids often have to read books assigned or recommended by teachers. Summer is the time to let them choose, and hopefully find enjoyment in what they read.
  • One-on-one moments with mom or dad. During the school year, everyday life often sweeps us along and leaves little time for individual attention. Summer can be a great time to reconnect, get to know them better, and share an activity they choose.
  • Time in nature. Most of us live in cities far removed from natural settings, but we seek it out during vacations. So let’s take advantage of this chance to truly connect with nature and enjoy all the benefits it offers.

My wish for all of you this summer is that we can view the holidays not as a logistical challenge, but as a valuable pause. A time to reconnect, to observe our children with fresh eyes, to support them from a different place: calmer, more present, more human.

Tell me—how do you experience the end of the school year? How does your family prepare for the holidays?

I’ll be reading your comments—I’d love to hear how other families and educators go through this time!